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posted by mrpg on Tuesday March 13 2018, @02:21AM   Printer-friendly
from the dentists-of-dentists-are-scared dept.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have identified a cluster of dentists that all contracted idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and were treated at a particular Virginia care center:

A cluster of cases of a progressive lung disease occurred among dentists and other dental workers treated at one Virginia care center, according to Thursday's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report [open, DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6709a2] [DX] from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of nine patients, referred to as a cluster, seven died during the reported 16-year period. The disease, called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, is a chronic, progressive lung disease with a poor prognosis. The cause is unknown.

[...] In this case, among 894 patients treated for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis at the Virginia hospital, nine patients -- or 1% -- were identified as dentists or dental technicians. This number "was about 23 times higher than expected," Nett said.

The clustering may be explained by occupational exposure to an unknown hazard.

Also at Newsweek.


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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @03:24AM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 13 2018, @03:24AM (#651658)

    Are you a dentist or a dental school student ?

    The reason I ask is that you seem to be more familiar with the current tech used than most laypersons would be.

  • (Score: 4, Insightful) by cocaine overdose on Tuesday March 13 2018, @03:29AM

    Only a disillusioned patient that's been through the gamut of insanity that medical diagnoses and treatment contain. Having to find the causes and solutions myself, because medical professionals cannot be relied upon to give enough of a "fuck."