Bagassosis is caused by inhalation of?

Appeared in: HPSSC Staff Nurse - 2021

Explanation

Bagassosis is an occupational lung disease specifically caused by the inhalation of bagasse, which is the fibrous residue left after sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract their juice.
It is classified as a form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an allergic inflammatory response in the lungs.
The condition is primarily seen in workers in the sugar cane industry and those who handle bagasse for manufacturing paper and building materials.
The dust is often contaminated with thermophilic actinomycetes (e.g., Thermoactinomyces sacchari), which triggers the hypersensitivity reaction.

Option B: Cotton dust inhalation is associated with Byssinosis, another occupational lung disease, but it is distinct from Bagassosis.
Option C: Jute dust exposure can cause respiratory problems like bronchitis, sometimes called 'jute mill fever', but it does not cause Bagassosis.
Option D: Coal dust is the causative agent for Anthracosis, also known as Coal Worker's Pneumoconiosis (CWP) or 'black lung disease'.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: Knowing Occupational Lung Diseases helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
Nurses play a crucial role in identifying potential occupational exposures when taking a patient's history. Asking about a patient's job and work environment is essential for diagnosing respiratory symptoms that don't have an obvious cause.
Patient education is a key nursing intervention. This includes teaching workers about the importance of using personal protective equipment (PPE) like masks and respirators, and workplace safety measures like dust suppression (e.g., wetting bagasse).
Nurses are involved in health surveillance programs for at-risk workers, which may include baseline and periodic pulmonary function tests (PFTs) to detect early signs of lung disease.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question: 'Bagassosis'.
This is a factual recall question that tests your knowledge of specific medical terminology related to occupational diseases.
Access your memory of different types of pneumoconioses (dust-related lung diseases).
Associate 'Bagassosis' with 'bagasse', which is the term for processed sugarcane.
Evaluate the options: 'Sugarcane dust' directly relates to bagasse. The other options (cotton, jute, coal) are known to cause other distinct occupational lung diseases (Byssinosis, Jute bronchitis, Anthracosis, respectively).
Select the option that correctly matches the disease to its causative agent.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Qbngut0fKQx5_dU1qHyjcn

E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart B (pp 233-449 of 464) pp. 124-126, 123-125

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