摘要:

The Occupational Medicine Forum presents questions of general interest received by the ACOEM 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 College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 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, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 55 W. Seegers Rd, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The United States undertook an extensive mobilization of military forces in Southwest Asia after the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in August 1990. With this massive buildup and the short duration of the Persian Gulf War, an epidemiological comparison of military casualties was of interest. Information extracted from the Worldwide Casualty System maintained by the Department of Defense was used to describe the casualties. Of the 219 (212 men and 7 women) US casualties, 154 were killed in battle and 65 died from nonbattle causes. Thirty-five of the battle deaths were a result of friendly fire. Eighty-three percent of all casualties were white and the mean age at death for all casualties was 26.9 years. The Army had the highest proportion of both battle (58%) and nonbattle (71%) casualties and the Marine Corps had the highest battle casualty rate (0.52 per 1000 personnel) and nonbattle casualty rate (0.31).

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Cancer incidence during 1953 to 1991 in 811 Finnish silicotic patients diagnosed between 1936 and 1977 was evaluated. In comparison with the general population, excesses were observed for all cancers (standardized incidence ratio, 1.7 [95% confidence interval, 1.4 to 1.9]), all lung cancers (2.9 [2.4 to 3.5]), squamous cell lung cancers (3.3 [2.3 to 4.5]), and skin cancers: melanoma (3.0 [0.8 to 7.6]) and nonmelanoma (2.9 [1.2 to 6.1]). Confounding by tobacco smoking did not explain the lung cancer increment. The consistency of the association between silicosis and lung cancer across a large number of studies suggests that silicosis represents a direct or indirect lung cancer hazard. The skin cancer excess, a relatively novel finding, may be explained either by carcinogens in foundries, or silica-induced lowering of immunocompetence, which would lead to a more pronounced effect of solar ultraviolet radiation.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Through a leak in the steam heating system, the anticorrosive agent 2-diethylaminoethanol was released into the air of a large office building. Irritative symptoms were experienced by most of the 2500 employees, and 14 workers developed asthma within 3 months of exposure. This study was undertaken to review clinical characteristics of these asthmatics. Environmental exposure monitoring data and medical records were reviewed. Seven of 14 cases were defined as “confirmed”and 7 of 14 as “suspect,” using the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health surveillance case definition of occupational asthma. Spirometry was positive in 4 of 14 of the cases and peak flow testing in 10 of 14. Three cases were diagnosed on the basis of work-related symptoms and physical examination alone. The study suggests that acute exposure to the irritating steam additive 2-diethylami-noethanol was a contributing factor in the development of clinical asthma in this population.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Nonfatal work-related injury (NFI) rates are 49% higher among oil and gas field workers than among workers in all US industries combined, and these injuries are more severe (the rate of lost workdays in the oil and gas field services industry is 2.8 times that of all US industries combined). We analyzed the 1988 to 1990 incident reports submitted by drilling companies to the International Association of Drilling Contractors, an industry-wide international trade association representing 95% of the world's oil and gas drilling companies. We determined geographic and occupation-specific incidence rates by full-time equivalents, calculated per job category and year. Of the 5,251 reports, 5,218 (99.4%) were of NFI and 33 (0.6%) of fatal work-related injuries (FI). The overall NFI rate was 1.2/100 full-time equivalents and the overall FI rate was 7.5/100,000 full-time equivalents. Reported NFI in US territory was 4 times more common than in non-US territory. Reported FI in US and non-US waters were 4 and 5 times more common than on land, respectively. Three job categories-floormen, roustabouts, and derrick-men-accounted for 74% of the NFI and 64% of FI, with a rate ratio, compared with rates for all other occupations, of 10.5, 8.5, and 7.0 for NFI and 5.0, 9.4, and 4.0 for FI. Among all occupations, the body part most frequently injured was the upper extremity (1,631/5,218 [31%]). The four key NFI types and circumstances identified included the upper extremities “caught in” (857/5,218 [16%]), the back “strained” (592/5,218 [11%]), the lower extremities “struck by” (538/5,218 [10%]), and the lower extremities injured while “slipping” (402/5,218 [8%]). Results of these analyses revealed several high-risk occupations in this industry and identified high-risk activities that can be targeted for further study.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

The characteristics of companies that either accepted or declined participation in a 5-year randomized trial of a multirisk factor health promotion intervention were compared to investigate potential limitations on the generalizability of research findings. A representative sample of 151 manufacturing work sites in the northeast was recruited to participate. Sixty-four of the companies were determined to be eligible and 10 others, which refused to have an administrator interviewed, were presumed to be eligible. Of this group, 27 companies agreed to participate. Workforce demographics, shift structure, and prior history of health promotion offerings were not significantly different in the two groups. However, participating companies employed fewer workers and had a more favorable financial outlook than did companies that declined to participate. Implications of these findings for research on work site health promotion are discussed.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

We present the case of a worker who was accidentally exposed (inhalational and dermal routes) to the chemicals dimethylacetamide and ethylenediamine for 90 minutes in a confined space. Clinical effects included delirium, hallucinations, skin burns, cellulitis, bilateral conjunctivitis, hepatitis, secondary coagulopathy, rhabdomyolysis, and a grade 2 esophagitis. Urinary monomethylacetamide levels 6 days after the exposure were 61 ppm.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID

摘要:

Our objective was to identify risk factors for development of immunologically mediated respiratory disease in workers exposed to hexahydrophthalic anhydride. We performed a medical and immunologic survey study of 57 workers in a workplace molding operation utilizing hexahydrophthalic anhydride. The main outcome measurements were the development of a respiratory disease due to specific IgE antibody (asthma and/or rhinitis) or specific IgG antibody (hypersensitivity pneumonitis or hemorrhagic rhinitis). Of the 57 workers, 7 had both IgE- and IgG-mediated disease, whereas 9 had only IgE-mediated disease. Although neither smoking, age, nor race were risk factors for development of immunologically mediated disease, exposure level and specific antibody were. In conclusion, development of immunologically mediated respiratory disease due to hexahydrophthalic anhydride is most closely associated with exposure level and development of specific IgE or IgG antibodies.

ISSN:0096-1736    

出版商:OVID    

年代:1994

数据来源: OVID