摘要:

The Occupational Medicine Forum presents questions of general interest received by the AOMA Committee on Occupational Medical Practice. Answers usually are prepared by the Committee, representing the composite best judgment of its members. Such replies do not necessarily represent an official position of the American Occupational Medical Association. In some cases, the responses will be prepared at the Committee's request by consultants with special qualifications in specific fields. Questioners are not named. Readers who wish to submit questions to the Committee should address Inquiries to: Committee on Occupational Medical Practice

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

A criterion for eligibility to compensation is sought for bladder cancer oases among workers in the aluminum smelting industry. Probability that a case of bladder cancer was caused by occupational exposure can be estimated from a relationship derived from results of epidemiologic studies. Because the effects of occupational exposure and smoking apparently combine multiplioatively, this probability is independent of whether a case patient smoked. Estimated probabilities of causation have been used in a criterion for eligibility to compensation by the Quebec workers' compensation board. Workers with cancer for whom the upper 95% confidence limit of the probability of causation is at least 50% are compensated. This implies a minimum cumulative exposure to benzo[a]pyrene (concentration in micrograms per cubic meter times duration in years) of 19 μg/m3years.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Tabulations of 80 years of advertisements from the Journal of Occupational Medicine reflect shifts in the career options of occupational physicians. Advertised opportunities have increased modestly from 1968 through 1987. The largest sector increases come from community hospital-based clinics, academic faculty positions, free-standing industrial practice, and especially from within multispecialty group practices. Opportunities In industry show the opposite trend; these comprised about 70% of advertised positions in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, but have since decreased steadily as a percent of the total and In absolute terms. Advertised searches for occupational physicians are more diversified than la the past, reflecting growth in settings other than within industry.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

A cross-sectional survey of the work force at an iron ore surface mine and beneficiation plant in Labrador identified oases with a radiologic diagnosis compatible with simple pneumoconiosis by the International Labour Organization (ILO) classification (1980). Their distribution by ILO categories 1, 8, and 8, after excluding those with confounding diagnoses for pneumoconiosis, was 80, 10, and 2 cases, respectively. ILO category was related to age, duration of current employment, and cumulative respirable dust and quartz levels, as well as to decrement in ventilatory function.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

In vitro radioallergosorbent teats have not been useful in identification of subjects with symptomatic allergic responses to add anhydrides. By using phthalic anhydride or tetraohlorophthalic anhydride conjugated to human serum albumin, a study was undertaken to determine whether histamine release from basophils or lymphocyte transformation correlated with clinical symptoms, circulating anhydride specific IgE, and skin test reactivity. The data demonstrate that only histamine release from basophils correlated with symptoms and skin test reactivity. We conclude that in vitro histamine assays can be used in the identification of subjects with allergic responses to anhydrides.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

An unresolved controversy is whether exposure to organic solvents in the workplace causes hepatotoxicity. From a medical surveillance study of 389 printing factory employees who were exposed primarily to toluene, we identified eight workers who had persistently abnormal serum transaminase and/or alkaline phosphatose values. The eight men were generally healthy and gave no history of taking medications or of drinking ethanol to excess. None was obese or diabetic. Six patients had hepatomegaly based on physical examination. All eight had mild elevations (less than 8 to S times the upper value of normal) of serum transaminases [alanine (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)]. However, there was a marked increase in the ratio of ALT/AST (mean = 1.61). In each case, liver biopsy revealed mild, pericentral fatty change. Our results, consistent with those previously published by some others, suggest that perioentral fatty liver with mild “reactive hepatitis” is the most likely diagnosis in workers exposed to solvents for whom common causes of mild liver test abnormalities have been excluded. An increased ALT/AST ratio may represent a convenient, previously unrecognized indicator of this condition.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Nurses' beliefs and attitudes about causes and prevention of occupational back pain of nurses (OBPN) were studied by interviewing: 68 nurses using a semi-structured format. Direct patient contact activities, particularly patient transfers, were most frequently mentioned as causes of OBPN. Attitudes and beliefs about preventive methods focused upon personal work practices and personal behavior such as choice of clothing and personal exercise. The findings of this study suggest that the causes of and preventive methods for OBPN identified by nurses differ from the actual work tasks performed and possibly associated with OBPN as determined by other studies. The authors postulate that nurse training and attitudes lead to a narrow focus; avoiding preconceived concepts is necessary for preventing OBPN.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Two Swedish studies have suggested that exposure to phenoxy acid herbicides may cause soft tissue sarcoma. This association has been subsequently investigated in a number of epidemiologic studies. Results ore inconsistent.In this study the risk of soft tissue sarcoma in a cohort of 20,845 Swedish pesticide applicators, of whom 72% were estimated to have been exposed to phenoxy acid herbicides, was analyzed. The cohort was observed by means of the Swedish Cancer Register from date of license until Deo 31, 1984, or until death if it occurred prior to that date. The mean follow-up time was 1S.9years. Seven patients with soft tissue sarcoma were observed compared with 7.7 expected on the basis of the incidence in Sweden. The relative risk was found to be 0.9 (96% confidence interval, 0.4 to 1.9).This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that exposure of phenoxy acid herbicides does not increase risk of soft tissue sarcoma.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Organic solvent exposure was studied in 104 oases of idiopathio focal epilepsy and 312 matched referents. Exposure to solvents was classified as 0, I, II, or III on the basis of occupational codes. The relative risk (RR) of epilepsy for those in exposure class I, II, or III, relative to 0, was estimated using conditional logistic regression. An increasing trend in RR was observed with higher exposure classes. The attributable risk for oases with focal epilepsy of deep hemispherical origin was estimated to be 8%.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1988

数据来源: OVID