Respiratory Function Profile of Workers Exposed to Clinker Dust in the Autonomous Port of Conakry

Abstract Introduction: Pulmonologists are regularly confronted with the medical and medico-legal management of these conditions [2]. The objective of our study was to describe the respiratory functional profile of workers exposed to clinker dust at the Autonomous Port of Conakry. Methods: This was a 12-month descriptive cross-sectional study that took place from 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023. Results: The average age of workers was 40 years, with extremes of 20 and 72 years. Among smokers, we reported that 93% smoked less than 10PA. The average duration of exposure in our study was 10.47 ± 5.16 years. Cough was the main symptom (38% dry and 36% productive), followed by melanoptysia (14%). Physical signs were poor and auscultation was normal in 86.6% of cases. Frontal chest X-ray was found to be pathological in 10.05%. The evaluation of respiratory function allowed us to detect restriction in 35.40% of cases and obstruction in 5.26% of cases. We noted a 1.07% improvement in FEV1 upon return from the holidays. We have no evidence that exposure to clinker dust is the cause of the decline in workers' respiratory function. Conclusion: Thanks to spirometry, we were able to detect obstructive and restrictive ventilatory disorders in almost half of the cases. Thus, to protect workers, technical and medical preventive measures and clinical as well as radiological and spirometric monitoring are necessary. .