Asbestos-associated cancers in the Ontario refinery and petrochemical sector

Asbestos has been widely used in the refinery and petrochemical sector. Mesothelioma has occurred among maintenance employees, and it was hypothesized that mesothelioma is a marker for exposures which might increase lung cancer risk. A death certificate-based case-control study of mesothelioma and lung cancer from 1980 to 1992 was conducted in an Ontario county with a substantial presence of these industries. Each of the 17 men who died of mesothelioma and 424 with lung cancer were matched with controls who died of other causes. The Job and Industry fields on the death certificates were abstracted. Employment as a maintenance worker in the refinery and petrochemical sector was associated with an increased risk of mesothelioma (odds ratio: 24.5; 90% confidence interval 3.1–102). The risk of lung cancer among petrochemical workers, in comparison with all other workers in the county, was 0.88. In an internal comparison of maintenance employees with other blue-collar workers in the refinery and petrochemical sector, the odds ratio for lung cancer was 1.73 (90% confidence interval 0.83–3.6). This finding is consistent with no difference in risk between maintenance and other employees, but it is also compatible with study power being too low to achieve statistical significance. The hypothesis of increased lung cancer risk could be examined more fully with nested case-control studies in existing cohorts. Meanwhile, it would be prudent to reinforce adherence to asbestos control measures in the refinery and petrochemical sector. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in North-Eastern Italy from March 1, 2020 to May 10, 2020

Background:During major epidemic outbreaks, the preparedness of public health systems is challenged and healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the frontline. Italy was among the first- and worst-hit countries by COVID-19.Aim:To analyze the prevalence and incidence of infection among HCWs in Friuli Venezia Giulia region (north-eastern Italy) from March 1 to the end of the Italian lock-down, May 10, 2020. Methods. HCWs exposed to COVID-19 patients were actively surveyed and all HCWs were routinely tested with nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab for RNA virus detection (n. 54,670).Results:Infected HCWs (n. 595) represented the 32.3% of all COVID-19 cases in the region under 65 years of age, and incidence of infection was 11.4 cases/1000 workers. HCWs accounted for a significant proportion of coronavirus infection and experienced high infection incidence after unprotected contact. Conclusions. HCWs’ knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology and proper infection control practices are critical to the control of the disease.     

Objective screening for olfactory and gustatory dysfunction during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A prospective study in healthcare workers using self‐administered testing

BackgroundSmell and taste loss are highly prevalent symptoms in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), although few studies have employed objective measures to quantify these symptoms, especially dysgeusia. Reports of unrecognized anosmia in COVID‐19 patients suggests that self‐reported measures are insufficient for capturing patients with chemosensory dysfunction.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to quantify the impact of recent COVID‐19 infection on chemosensory function and demonstrate the use of at‐home objective smell and taste testing in an at‐risk population of healthcare workers.MethodsTwo hundred and fifty healthcare workers were screened for possible loss of smell and taste using online surveys. Self‐administered smell and taste tests were mailed to respondents meeting criteria for elevated risk of infection, and one‐month follow‐up surveys were completed.ResultsAmong subjects with prior SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, 73% reported symptoms of olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction. Self‐reported smell and taste loss were both strong predictors of COVID‐19 positivity. Subjects with evidence of recent SARS‐CoV‐2 infection (<45 days) had significantly lower olfactory scores but equivalent gustatory scores compared to other subjects. There was a time‐dependent increase in smell scores but not in taste scores among subjects with prior infection and chemosensory symptoms. The overall infection rate was 4.4%, with 2.5% reported by PCR swab.ConclusionHealthcare workers with recent SARS‐CoV‐2 infection had reduced olfaction and normal gustation on self‐administered objective testing compared to those without infection. Rates of infection and chemosensory symptoms in our cohort of healthcare workers reflect those of the general public.     

Does influenza vaccination help reduce incidence of COVID-19 infection among hospital employees?

To facilitate the understanding of the interaction between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 causing the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other pathogens causing respiratory system affection we investigated the effect of influenza vaccination on the incidence and severity of COVID-19 among members of staff working in the Bahrain Defense Force Hospital.All staff members working in the hospital between February 2020 and March 2021 were divided into 2 main groups based on whether or not they received influenza vaccination. None of the participants had received any of the COVID-19 vaccines throughout this time period. The records of each were scrutinized to see the effect of influenza vaccination on incidence and severity of COVID-19. Severity measures were: need for hospital and intensive care unit admission and total length of hospital stay.Incidence of affection with COVID-19 was much lower in the vaccinated group (3.7% vs 8.1%, P < .001). Influenza vaccination also reduced total length of hospital stay (6.2 days vs 12.7 days, P < .05) and need for intensive care unit admission among the patients.Influenza vaccine reduces both the incidence of affection as well as the overall burden of COVID-19. This is of particular importance for people working in the healthcare field during the serious COVID-19 pandemic.     

Feasibility of electronic sleep disorder screening in healthcare workers of a large healthcare system

Study objectivesMany healthcare workers live with sleep disorders and may be unaware of their condition. We aimed to ascertain sleep disorder symptoms including high-risk obstructive sleep apnea (hrOSA), significant insomnia, and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) by work shift in a sample of healthcare workers. We aim to inform the development of a mobile application for sleep disorder screening and electronically-delivered follow-up recommendations.MethodsAn initial survey, including the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) for EDS, Insomnia Severity Scale (ISI) for insomnia, and STOP questionnaire for hrOSA, was completed by healthcare workers at the Cleveland Clinic. A follow-up survey sent ∼3–6 months after screening assessed perceptions of the utility of screening and subsequent actions taken by those with abnormal scores.Results871 of 2851 (30.7%) workers who participated had abnormal ESS scores, with a significantly greater portion of night shift workers with abnormal scores compared to day or evening shift workers (p < 0.001). 27.5% of all workers had moderate to severe insomnia symptoms, with higher percentages of moderate or severe scores in evening and night shift workers (p < 0.001). 36.9% of workers had hrOSA, and of those previously diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and using positive airway pressure therapy, over 90% reported treatment adherence (≥4 h per night). At follow-up, 92% of 484 respondents believed that sleep screening was valuable, with most taking some action after receiving abnormal results and over a quarter seeking sleep center treatment.ConclusionsMany healthcare workers, especially shift workers, experience sleep disorder symptoms, and our findings suggest that electronic sleep disorder symptom screening is feasible.     

中青年楼宇白领人群家庭医生签约服务的个性化需求

背景　在健康中国政策的指导下，上海的家庭医生常住人口签约率超过45%。但是楼宇白领人群的家庭医生签约率较低，白领人群亚健康问题也愈发严峻。目的　了解目前楼宇白领人群对家庭医生签约服务的个性化需求，为上海市卫生系统制定相关政策措施提供理论依据。方法　于2019年8-9月采用多阶段抽样法选取上海市虹口区8个商务楼员工进行问卷调查。问卷内容包括基本信息、楼宇白领人群对家庭医生签约服务的需求及楼宇白领人群对家庭医生签约个性化服务包的需求3个部分。结果　共发放问卷1 040份，回收有效问卷993份，问卷有效回收率95.48%。家庭医生一般服务和楼宇服务“非常需要”排序第一的条目分别是代配药服务〔29.49%（253/858）〕和颈椎病等的防治〔36.37%（315/866）〕。63.30%（507/801）的楼宇白领人群对家庭医生签约个性化服务包有需求，不同文化程度、医疗保险投保情况楼宇白领人群对家庭医生签约个性化服务包需求情况比较，差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。楼宇白领人群“最希望的”家庭医生签约个性化服务的开展方式、服务时间、价格区间分别为现场咨询〔26.53%（230/867）〕、工作午间1 h〔40.43%（399/987）〕、0~100元〔48.38%（417/862）〕。结论　楼宇白领人群具有个性化的健康管理需求，但缺乏便利可及的相应服务，建议设计针对白领的、形式多样的个性化有偿服务包，并给予政策支持。     

Home care workers’ judgments about users’ acute conditions: A qualitative study on interprofessional collaboration

ABSTRACT

Home care workers’ (HCWs) approaches to home care users’ acute symptoms are critical for users’ safety and quality of life. However, the processes of these approaches are unclear. This study investigates how HCWs assess users’ conditions. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with HCWs were conducted in a rural Japanese city. HCWs’ decisions were affected by interactions and previous relationships with care managers, home care nurses, physicians, and users’ families. Rural HCWs act flexibly, changing the professionals and families they consult with. Understanding HCWs’ behaviors and improving relationships among medical/care professionals and families can improve management of users’ acute conditions.