AIRBAg study: Preliminary results after one year of screening for COPD in dairy farmers

Introduction. - The AIRBAg study screens for bronchial obstruction in dairy farmers. We present the preliminary results after one year. Methods. - A prospective screening study based on questionnaires and electronic mini-spirometry (Neo-6 (R)) that includes a representative sample of dairy farmers from the departments of Morbihan and Ile-et-Vilaine in Brittany. The dairy farmers had an occupational medicine appointment and, if they demonstrated at least one marker of possible bronchial obstruction (chronic cough, chronic bronchitis, dyspnoea, wheezing, FEV1/FEV6 < 0.8), they were referred to a pulmonologist. The data we present here were extracted from the occupational medicine appointments because the pulmonologists' appointments are still running. Results. - Among the 277 dairy farmers included, 125 (45%) demonstrated "possible bronchial obstruction". The total score of the CAT questionnaire was higher in these farmers (9.1 +/- 6.2 versus 5.8 +/- 4.0; P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis markers of "possible bronchial obstruction" were eczema, manual foddering and duration of mechanical straw litter spreading. Conclusion. - Occupational medicine appointments identified markers of "possible bronchial obstruction". We will have the complete results from AIRBAg study in 2015. (C) 2014 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.