All about 'White Lung' disease - 'Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease'

What causes it? Why is it called white lung? What occupations can people get this disease in?

Answer 1:
white lung - acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales; inflammation of the lungs which become stiff and fibrous and cannot exchange oxygen; occurs among persons exposed to irritants such as corrosive chemical vapors or ammonia or chlorine etc.

Answer 2:
White lung happens to people in the fabric industry. Just as coal dust causes black lung, the fibers that come off of making towels, sheets and other linens float in the air and are taken in, so you can, potentially, cough up a towel.

Introduction

A 77 year old man presented to an emergency department with a three day history of worsening breathlessness. He denied a productive cough and was unaware of any recent weight loss. He was a retired navy worker with a smoking history of 12.5 pack years. He had hypertension and chronic constructive pulmonary disease. He had a medical history of tuberculosis.

On examination he was apyrexial and normotensive, with a respiratory rate of 30 breaths/min. He could complete sentences fully. His initial oxygen saturations on room air were 95%. A left posterior thoracotomy scar was noted on inspection of his chest. His trachea was centrally positioned. He had an absence of breath sounds and a dull percussion note over the entire left hemithorax and a scattered wheeze throughout the right lung. Nebuliser therapy was started, and his condition improved. A chest radio graph was taken (figure 1).