Objective:
To determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and illustrate the
dangerousness of the sands dust in the Artisanal carriers in the city of
Lubumbashi, Katanga province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Method:
In total, 120 carriers of sand have been recruited in an exhaustive approach
with 120 communal administrative officers of Lubumbashi city as control group.
Respiratory symptoms were collected using a respiratory questionnaire. A multi-analysis varied with the test of logistic regression has been privileged
to determine the association between the characteristics of the carriers and
the respiratory symptoms. Results: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms
reported in carriers of sands was greater than that of the control group for
the symptoms such as: cough in the morning (52.5% against 6.7%), sputum in the
morning (35% against 7.5%), shortness of breath after effort (18.3% against
5%), asthma (26.7% against 5%), chronic bronchitis (12.5% against 4.2%),
rhinitis (62.5% against 21.7%), conjunctivitis (58.3% against 17.5%). After
adjustment, on factors such as age and education, the profession carrier of
sands was strongly associated with the risk of developing respiratory symptoms
below: spit in the morning, shortness of breath after effort, asthma, chronic
bronchitis with a p < 0.001. The Peak
Expiratory Flow Rate (PEFR) has been significantly reduced in the Carriers of
sands (438.87 ± 109.02) compared to controls (480.14 ± 70.73) (p ＜ 0.05). Conclusion: The profession carriers of sand as practiced in
Lubumbashi, without means of adequate protection, carry a
clear risk for respiratory health. It is essential to organize a specialized
education in medicine of the work which can train doctors with proven expertise
to address the enormous need for qualified personnel in this environment
considered at risk of breathing.
Cite this paper
Ngombe, L. K. , Ngatu, N. R. , Christophe, N. M. , Ilunga, B. K. , Okitotsho, S. W. , Sakatolo, J. K. , Numbi, O. L. and Danuser, B. (2016). Respiratory Problems of Sands Carriers in the City of Lubumbashi/Rd Congo. Open Access Library Journal, 3, e3172. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1103172.
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