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Table 3 Comparison between the general characteristics and abnormal symptoms according to respiratory protector device used

From: Acute Symptoms in Firefighters who Participated in Collection Work after the Community Hydrogen Fluoride Spill Accident

 

No wear (N = 91)

Disposable or cotton mask (N = 114)

Gas mask (N = 11)

SCBA (N = 132)

p-value*

 

N

%

N

%

N

%

N

%

 

Age (years)

        

0.000

  < 30

5

13.9

8

22.2

2

5.6

21

58.3

 

  30 ~ 39

22

20.2

33

30.3

2

1.8

52

47.7

 

  40 ~ 49

47

33.8

46

33.1

4

2.9

42

30.2

 

  ≥ 50

17

26.6

27

42.2

3

4.7

17

26.6

 

Gender

        

0.012

  Male

81

24.7

108

32.9

10

3.0

129

39.3

 

  Female

10

50.0

6

30.0

1

5.0

3

15.0

 

Smoking

        

0.101

  No smoker

56

23.6

79

33.3

5

2.1

97

40.9

 

  Current smoker

35

31.5

35

31.5

6

5.4

35

31.5

 

Job

        

0.000

  Firefighter

51

20.8

59

24.1

3

1.2

132

53.9

 

  Police officer

16

34.8

22

47.8

8

17.4

0

0.0

 

  Volunteer firefighter

21

61.8

13

38.2

0

0.0

0

0.0

 

  Special warfare reserved force

3

13.0

20

87.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

 

Abnormal symptoms

  Throat

13

14.3

21

18.4

3

27.3

27

20.5

0.262

  Nose

10

11.0

12

10.5

1

9.1

18

13.6

0.468

  Eye§

21

23.1

19

16.7

2

18.2

37

28.0

0.139

  Lung

34

37.4

33

28.9

4

36.4

36

27.3

0.208

  Skin**

5

5.5

19

16.7

1

9.1

13

9.8

0.977

  Heart++

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

0

0.0

-

  Nerve‡‡

9

9.9

8

7.0

0

0.0

13

9.8

0.840

  Stomach‡‡‡

0

0.0

7

6.1

0

0.0

3

2.3

0.941

  1. *Chi-square test for trend.
  2. Throat pain, change of voice, dry mouth.
  3. Rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, nasal pain, nasal bleeding.
  4. §Ocular pain, red eye, blurred vision, lacrimination.
  5. Cough, sputum, chest discomfort, dyspnea.
  6. **Skin pruritus, skin rash, skin pain.
  7. ++Palpitation, left chest pain.
  8. ‡‡Fatigue, Headache, dizziness, arm/leg claudication, muscle weakness, inattention, muscle pain.
  9. ‡‡‡Vomiting, dyspepsia, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain.