Prevalence and risk factors associated with work-related eye injuries in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Background: Eye injuries are a prevalent workplace injury and cause substantial disability when vision is impaired.

Objective: To examine work-relatedness of demographic, injury, and clinical characteristics of eye injuries in a large clinic in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Methods: We performed a nine-year retrospective study of patients admitted with an eye injury to the Canton Hospital in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzeogvina. Controlling for age and sex, we used logistic regression to examine the influence of work-relatedness on patient and injury characteristics and clinical outcomes.

Results: Of 258 patients, 71 (27.5%) had work-related and 180 (69.8%) had non-work-related eye injuries. Work-related eye injury was associated with age, education, occupation, and injury type. Agricultural workers were eight times more likely to experience work-related eye injury (95%CI = 1.21–152.0) compared to manual workers. Work-relatedness of injury did not predict final visual acuity or length of hospital stay.

Conclusion: Promotion of eye safety is needed countrywide. Occupational eye protection is a priority due to the relatively proportion of eye injuries and the workplace being a relatively controlled environment.     

Pesticide-related Illness and Injuries among Banana Workers in Costa Rica: A Comparison between 1993 and 1996

Abstract

An intervention program considerably decreased systemic poisonings on banana plantations in Costa Rica in the early 1990s. Nevertheless, pesticide safety continues to be controversial .To examine the determinants of acute pesticide related illness on banana plantations, the authors surveyed occupational injuries and illness among banana workers in the Atlantic Region of Costa. Rica that were reported during 1993 and 1996 to the National Insurance Institute. Incidence rates were calculated for categories of pesticides and types of medical problems, for all and subgroups of banana workers. Between 1993 and 1996, an overall 35% decrease in injuries was observed, attributable to a marked decline in topical injuries (3.3 vs 1.9 per 100 workers), whereas systemic poisonings remained the same (0.7 per 100 in both years). The decrease concerned selectively milder skin contlltioris, indicating underreporting of less severe health effects. In both years, paraquat was the pesticide most frequently associated with injuries, mostly skin and eye lesions. Workers at highest risk per unit time of exposure were nematocide applicators, herbicide applicators, and cleaners of packing plants. Despite control measures, further reduction of systemic illness had not been achieved. The decrease of topical injuries may be partly explained by improved work conditions, but possible underreporting hinders interpretation. Pesticide related illness on banana plantations is a persistent problem.     

131例角膜炎感染病原菌谱分析

目的研究感染性角膜炎病原菌分布特征及实验室检查结果,提供真菌性角膜炎的早期诊断及治疗依据。方法收集住院感染性角膜炎患者的角膜溃疡标本,对普通细菌及真菌培养的结果进行回顾分析,评价感染特征及危险因素。结果 131例培养阳性检出率为54.2%,其中丝状真菌检出率71.8%,以镰刀菌属为主,占36.6%,其次是曲霉菌属,23.9%;细菌检出率为28.2%,其中革兰阳性菌占18.3%、革兰阴性杆菌占9.9%。结论感染性角膜炎以真菌性角膜炎为主,主要病原菌是丝状真菌,并以镰刀菌属的感染为主。     

Dust Diseases in Dundee Textile Workers: An Investigation into Chronic Respiratory Disease in Jute and Flax Industries

A survey of respiratory symptoms and function was carried out in Dundee among 123 men and women in the jute industry and 242 in the flax industry. The selection of workers was biassed in favour of those working in the dustier departments as judged by eye and those in the older age groups. A group of 72 men in a heavy engineering firm were also selected as controls for comparison.

Chronic bronchitis, as defined by Ogilvie and Newell (1957) was recorded in 27% of those interviewed, whose average age was 49. Byssinosis of various grades was recorded in 30% of all working in flax; of these 35 had cough alone worse on Monday, 34 had other respiratory symptoms worse on Monday and in only four persons did the exacerbation persist longer in the week.

In spite of the occurrence of byssinosis, chronic bronchitis was no more prevalent among flax workers than among the others, the average ventilatory function was no worse, and radiographs of the chest revealed no differences. The characteristic fall in expiratory flow rate during the course of exposure to flax dust on Mondays is similar to that found in cotton workers, and is absent in jute workers and in flax workers not admitting to symptoms of byssinosis.

     

Visual and ocular changes associated with exposure to two tertiary amines

Aims: To determine if exposure to dimethylisopropanolamine (DMIPA) and dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) in a label printing plant was associated with visual disturbances and/or ocular changes.

Methods: Questionnaires, eye examinations (visual acuity, contrast sensitivity at 2.5% and 1.25% contrast, slit lamp biomicroscopy, and pachymetry), and industrial hygiene monitoring for DMIPA and DMAE were performed over a two week period.

Results: Eighty nine per cent of line workers reported having experienced blurry vision while at work in the past 12 months, compared to 12.5% of prime workers. A total of 108 full shift personal breathing zone (PBZ) air samples for the amines were collected. The mean time weighted average (TWA) concentration of DMIPA was significantly higher in the line division than in the prime division, as was the mean TWA concentration for total amines. The mean TWA concentration of DMAE was higher in the prime division than the line division. Higher levels of total amines were associated with increased risk of reporting blurry vision, halo vision, and blue-grey vision. The risk of corneal opacity rose with increasing exposure to total amines. The prevalence of corneal opacity also increased with increasing concentration of total amines. Median corneal thickness increased with increasing grades of corneal opacity. There was a statistically significant relation between total amine concentration and increased risk of reduced bilateral visual acuity and 2.5% contrast sensitivity.

Conclusions: Exposure to tertiary amines was associated with blurry, halo, and blue-grey vision, corneal opacity, and decrements in visual acuity and contrast sensitivity at 2.5% contrast.

     

Suspended Onion Particles and Potential Corneal Injury in Onion Harvesters

The authors suspected that suspended onion particles contributed to corneal ulcers in onion harvesters in southern Taiwan. In the present study, the authors used manikins to study suspended onion particles in fields in an effort to simulate typical conditions experienced by onion harvesters. An animal eye-exposure simulation study was also performed by the authors, who impacted suspended soil grains or onion particles onto the corneas of guinea pigs via aerosol generated from the Palas® dispersion nozzle. The average size of 25.9 μm for suspended particles collected during the digging of onions was the largest one of those for various harvesting activities. Some onion skin flakes were found in samples obtained from gathering and packing activities; the typical flake size was approximately 3.5 × 2.5 mm². The results of the animal study indicated that the size of soil grains has a demonstrable effect on the severity of corneal injury (p = .009). With respect to onion skin flakes, wind velocity was also associated significantly with the occurrence of corneal injury (p = .0004). A wind velocity threshold of 7 m/sec is recommended for the maintenance of safety, and if the wind speed exceeds this threshold level, workers should not engage in harvesting activities. Furthermore, use of appropriately designed goggles is necessary for the protection of onion harvesters who work in high-wind conditions.     

Mobile Farm Clinic Outreach to Address Health Conditions Among Latino Migrant Farmworkers in Georgia

ABSTRACT

Agricultural labor involves exposure to many occupational hazards, some of which can lead to chronic health conditions. The purpose of this study was to conduct an occupational health needs assessment of illnesses and work-related injuries among a Latino migrant farmworker population (recruited to harvest Vidalia onions) in South Georgia. Study data included survey responses from 100 farmworkers attending mobile farm clinics in 2010 at their worker housing residences, supplemented by medical diagnoses data from the same clinics collected over 3 years (2009–2011) for 1161 farmworkers at six different farms. From the survey, the main health problems reported were hypertension (25%), eye problems (12%), musculoskeletal problems (11%), diabetes (10%), and depression (7%). In multivariate analyses, depression scores were associated with having a history of musculoskeletal problems (p = .002). According to the mobile farm clinic data, the most common medical diagnoses included back pain (11.8%), hypertension (11.4%), musculoskeletal problems (11.3%), gastrointestinal disorders (8.6%), eye problems (7.2%), dermatitis or rash (7.0%), and tinea or fungal skin infections (5.6%). The study identified eye and musculoskeletal problems as the major occupational health conditions for this population of farmworkers.     

Changes in kidney function among Nicaraguan sugarcane workers

Abstract

Background:

There is an epidemic of chronic kidney disease (CKD) of unknown etiology in Central American workers.

Objectives:

To investigate changes and job-specific differences in kidney function over a 6-month sugarcane harvest season, explore the potential role of hydration, and measure proteinuria.

Methods:

We recruited 284 Nicaraguan sugarcane workers performing seven distinct tasks. We measured urine albumin and serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Results:

eGFR varied by job and decreased during the harvest in seed cutters (?8·6 ml/min/1·73 m²), irrigators (?7·4 ml/min/1·73 m²), and cane cutters (?5·0 ml/min/1·73 m²), as compared to factory workers. The number of years employed at the company was negatively associated with eGFR. Fewer than 5% of workers had albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) >30 mg/g.

Conclusions:

The decline in kidney function during the harvest and the differences by job category and employment duration provide evidence that one or more risk factors of CKD are occupational.     

Severe ulcerative herpes of mouth and eye following measles.

Malnourished children in the north of Nigeria who had had a severe attack of measles were prone to deep ulcers of the mouth and eyes. Herpes simplex virus was isolated from 17 of 25 of the mouth ulcers which were erosive, slow to heal and caused much suffering and loss of weight. Herpes virus was also identified, either by immunofluorescent staining or viral culture, in the corneal scrapings of the eye ulcers from 16 of 34 children. These ulcers healed slowly in two to six weeks leaving damaging scars which impaired vision and caused blindness in some cases. It is suggested that measles leads to profound depression of cell mediated immunity in malnourished children with the consequence that secondary herpes simplex infections become abnormally severe and erosive.     

Suspended onion particles and potential corneal injury in onion harvesters

The authors suspected that suspended onion particles contributed to corneal ulcers in onion harvesters in southern Taiwan. In the present study, the authors used manikins to study suspended onion particles in fields in an effort to simulate typical conditions experienced by onion harvesters. An animal eye-exposure simulation study was also performed by the authors, who impacted suspended soil grains or onion particles onto the corneas of guinea pigs via aerosol generated from the Palas dispersion nozzle. The average size of 25.9 pm for suspended particles collected during the digging of onions was the largest one of those for various harvesting activities. Some onion skin flakes were found in samples obtained from gathering and packing activities; the typical flake size was approximately 3.5 x 2.5 mm2. The results of the animal study indicated that the size of soil grains has a demonstrable effect on the severity of corneal injury (p = .009). With respect to onion skin flakes, wind velocity was also associated significantly with the occurrence of corneal injury (p = .0004). A wind velocity threshold of 7 m/sec is recommended for the maintenance of safety, and if the wind speed exceeds this threshold level, workers should not engage in harvesting activities. Furthermore, use of appropriately designed goggles is necessary for the protection of onion harvesters who work in high-wind conditions.     

自研面部防压伤保护组件防护医护人员面部压疮效果评价

  目的  设计能防止面部压伤的防护组件，预防医护人员鼻、面部机械相关压力性损伤（device-related pressure injury，DRPI）发生，提高医护人员防护质量。
  方法  设计一款面部防压伤保护组件，由保护双眼四周皮肤的护目镜保护组件、用于保护脸颊皮肤的脸颊保护组件和用于保护耳根皮肤的耳根保护组件组成。在新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情期间，以在武汉执行援鄂医疗任务的上海医疗队员作为调查对象，试验组医护人员（n=83）使用面部防压伤保护组件后再佩戴医用护目镜、医用口罩等防护品，然后在一个班次后进行面部皮肤状况认定；对照组医护人员（n=95）不使用面部防压伤保护组件，仅佩戴医用护目镜、医用口罩等防护品，再在一个班次后进行面部皮肤状况认定。比较两组研究对象DRPI的组间差异。
  结果  一个班次后，对照组DRPI发生率为63.16%（60/95），其中57例为Ⅰ期压疮，3例为Ⅱ期压疮；试验组DRPI发生率为20.48%（17例），均为Ⅰ期压疮；两组DRPI发生率差异有统计学意义（P < 0.01）。
  结论  自研面部防压伤保护组件能有效防护医护人员DRPI的发生，值得临床推广使用。
     

Periportal fibrosis and other liver ultrasonography findings in vinyl chloride workers

Aims: To investigate the presence of liver lesions and their relation with vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) exposure or other personal risk factors, in workers involved in the production of VCM and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

Methods: A liver ultrasonography examination was conducted in 757 workers, some of whom had long standing service in the production of VCM and PVC. The study involved: assessment of individual past and present VCM exposure of each worker; collection of past personal health history, lifestyle and personal data; routine liver function tests; and liver ultrasonography.

Results: No cases of liver malignancies were detected. Angiomas and liver cysts were found with a frequency of occurrence within the expected range of the general population. The main findings consisted of hepatomegaly (34.7%), steatosis (31.8%), and periportal fibrosis (16.0%). A logistic regression analysis indicated that hepatomegaly and steatosis were associated with obesity and lipid metabolism disturbances and not with VCM exposure. Periportal fibrosis, in addition to constitutional or dietary factors, was shown to be associated with VCM exposure, but only when maximum exposure in the subject's history had been at least 200 ppm as a yearly average; no effects were observed at 50 ppm or below.

Conclusions: Workers exposed to 200 ppm VCM for at least one year have a fourfold increased risk of developing periportal liver fibrosis. Liver ultrasonography is a suitable and important diagnostic test for the medical surveillance of vinyl chloride workers.

     

沈阳军区医学放射工作人员健康状况分析

目的了解沈阳军区医学放射工作人员健康状况,为放射防护工作提供参考依据。方法整理596名放射工作人员健康检查档案资料,并进行统计、分析处理。结果放射工作人员健康检查异常结果人员比例为30.20%,患病情况、眼晶体混浊率、微核率、白细胞异常检出率、皮肤改变率均高于对照组。结论长期小剂量辐射对放射工作人员健康有一定的影响,应加强放射工作人员的防护工作。     

Ischaemic heart disease among livestock and agricultural workers

Aims: To compare the occurrence of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) among male and female livestock and agricultural workers with gainfully employed men and women in Sweden.

Methods: Male and female livestock and agricultural workers were identified in the Swedish National Censuses of 1970 and 1990 and were followed until the end of 1995. The IHD mortality among the livestock and agricultural workers was compared with that of gainfully employed men and women. Information of smoking habits was gathered from a previous national survey.

Results: Male as well as female livestock workers had slightly higher standardised mortality ratios (SMR) regarding IHD compared with all gainfully employed men and women in Sweden. The SMR for male workers was 1.06 (95% CI 0.95 to 1.18). The SMR for female workers was 1.10 (95% CI 0.98 to 1.23). Agricultural workers had lower SMRs. Adjustments for smoking habits would further increase the SMRs by about 9% in male workers and about 5% in female workers.

Conclusion: The present data suggest a slightly increased risk for IHD among both male and female livestock workers, which may be the result of organic dust exposure.

     

Career Outcomes Among Medical vs. Family Service Social Workers in Israel

SUMMARY

The study compared perceptions of several organizational variables among medical and family service social workers in Israel. Three types of variables were examined; role characteristics (e.g., role ambiguity); job conditions (e.g., promotional opportunities); and career outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction).

Among two groups of social workers, which operate in distinct practice settings and organizational cultures, significant differences were found in several of the variables measured. The medical social workers had a smaller caseload and more intensive contacts with clients than the family service workers. At the same time, the family service workers reported a much higher level of role ambiguity than their counterparts in the medical services. With regard to job conditions, the medical social workers reported less predictability and a higher degree of mastery than the family service workers. They also perceived themselves as having fewer promotional opportunities and financial rewards than their counterparts in the family services. Finally, the medical social workers scored higher in the area of service effectiveness and reported less burnout than the family service workers.     

Biofuels and North American Agriculture – Implications for the Health and Safety of North American Producers

ABSTRACT

This decade has provided North American agricultural producers with opportunity to not only produce fiber and food, but also fuel and other industrial products. The drivers incenting this development could be sustained well into the future, therefore workforce safety and health implications are likely to persist for some time. Within production agriculture, the ‘feedstock growth and harvest cycle’ and ‘transport’ sectors possess the changing exposures experienced by workers. The Conference explored the following exposures: distiller's grains and bio-processing byproducts, spent catalyst, solvent brine, microbial agents, genetically modified organisms, discharge effluent, H2O dilutes, change in cropping patterns and resultant use of different seeding and harvest technologies, pests (whether target or non-target), and rural traffic resulting from concentrated movement of massive quantities of biomass and grain. Other issues of a more general public health nature such as watershed implications, other environmental impacts, emissions, uneven economic development potential, public safety issues associated with transport of both fuel and other industrial products, and rural emergency medical service need were explored. And, agronomic impacts were noted, including tillage change, potassium buildup in soil, nutrient depletion, sedimentation and erosion of tillable soil, and local esthetics. It was concluded that rural venues for formation and exploration of public policy need to be created.     

Ocular disorders among workers exposed to mercury

Mercury vapor exposed workers may show ocular changes, as well as other systems affection. A sample of 84 workers in preparing mercury fulminate were examined for conjunctival corneal and lenticular manifestation of long duration exposure, together with mercury urinary output. Lens changes were found in 50% of the involved workers while keratopathy as recorded in 34.5% of them. No statistically significant association was found between the occurrence of eye lesions and levels of urinary elimination of mercury. These results suggest local absorption of this element is most probably the underlying cause of ocular affection.     

Application of image recognition-based automatic hyphae detection in fungal keratitis

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of two methods in diagnosis of fungal keratitis, whereby one method is automatic hyphae detection based on images recognition and the other method is corneal smear. We evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the method in diagnosis of fungal keratitis, which is automatic hyphae detection based on image recognition. We analyze the consistency of clinical symptoms and the density of hyphae, and perform quantification using the method of automatic hyphae detection based on image recognition. In our study, 56 cases with fungal keratitis (just single eye) and 23 cases with bacterial keratitis were included. All cases underwent the routine inspection of slit lamp biomicroscopy, corneal smear examination, microorganism culture and the assessment of in vivo confocal microscopy images before starting medical treatment. Then, we recognize the hyphae images of in vivo confocal microscopy by using automatic hyphae detection based on image recognition to evaluate its sensitivity and specificity and compare with the method of corneal smear. The next step is to use the index of density to assess the severity of infection, and then find the correlation with the patients’ clinical symptoms and evaluate consistency between them. The accuracy of this technology was superior to corneal smear examination (p?<?0.05). The sensitivity of the technology of automatic hyphae detection of image recognition was 89.29%, and the specificity was 95.65%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.946. The correlation coefficient between the grading of the severity in the fungal keratitis by the automatic hyphae detection based on image recognition and the clinical grading is 0.87. The technology of automatic hyphae detection based on image recognition was with high sensitivity and specificity, able to identify fungal keratitis, which is better than the method of corneal smear examination. This technology has the advantages when compared with the conventional artificial identification of confocal microscope corneal images, of being accurate, stable and does not rely on human expertise. It was the most useful to the medical experts who are not familiar with fungal keratitis. The technology of automatic hyphae detection based on image recognition can quantify the hyphae density and grade this property. Being noninvasive, it can provide an evaluation criterion to fungal keratitis in a timely, accurate, objective and quantitative manner.     

Epidemiology of sick building syndrome and its associated risk factors in Singapore

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the occurrence of sick building syndrome in a tropical city, and its relation to indoor air quality and other factors. METHODS: 2856 office workers in 56 randomly selected public and private sector buildings were surveyed. The study consisted of a self administered questionnaire assessing symptoms and perception of the physical and psychosocial environment, inspection of the building plans and premises, and measurement of temperature, relative humidity, respirable particles, chemicals, bioaerosols, and other variables. RESULTS: Symptoms typical of the sick building syndrome were reported in 19.6% of the respondents. Multivariate modelling substantiated contributions associated with low thermal comfort, high work related stress, too much noise, a history of allergy or other medical conditions, poor lighting, young employees, and female sex. Measurements of indoor air quality or ventilation were not found to be reliable predictors of the symptoms. CONCLUSION: The survey confirmed the presence of sick building syndrome and its risk factors in the tropics. A biopsychosocial approach to the problem involving symptomatic treatment, environmental control, good ergonomic design, and stress management is recommended.

 

     

柳州市皮肤性病科医护人员职业损伤调查及防护对策

目的了解皮肤性病科医护人员职业损伤特点及分布规律,制定科学有效的防护措施,减少或防止职业损伤的发生,提高医护人员健康水平。方法对柳州市不同等级医院548名从事皮肤性病工作的医护人员和221名行政后勤人员进行问卷调查,利用SPSS11.5对所得资料进行分析。结果医生和护士的职业损伤率分别为61.13%和65.37%,医护人员损伤率显著高于行政后勤人员(14.93%);三级医院医护人员职业损伤率高于一、二级医院(χ2=6.44,P0.05);心理损伤和物理损伤居职业损伤的前2位;护理人员为职业损伤的高危人群。结论柳州市皮肤性病科医护人员职业损伤率很高。加强职业安全教育,提高防护意识,是减少职业损伤的关键;合理安排资源配置,加强高危人群防护,是减少职业损伤的必要措施。