Epidemiology of work-related burn injuries: experience of a state-managed workers' compensation system

BACKGROUND: Population-based incidence rates of work-related burn injuries and associated risk factors specific to anatomic sites and degree of burn are not known. METHODS: Using a state-managed workers' compensation database, we estimated incidence rates of work-related burn injuries and identified high-risk occupations and associated exposures. RESULTS: The annual incidence rate of occupational burn was 26.4 per 10,000 workers, with the highest rate observed in the manufacturing sector for males and in the service sector for females. Welders, cooks, laborers, food service workers, and mechanics had higher incidence rates of burn injury compared with other occupations. Wrist and hand burns accounted for a majority of burn injuries, with females experiencing greater incidence of these distal upper extremity burns (8.9 in females and 6.7 in males per 10,000 workers, respectively). Third-degree burns (incidence rate, 1.3 per 10,000 workers) were also most frequently observed in the upper extremities compared with other anatomic sites. The majority of wrist and hand burns were caused by hot liquids/ objects, whereas the majority of eye burns were associated with chemical exposures. Younger cooks and food service workers were at greater risk of burn than older coworkers. CONCLUSION: Specific occupations are associated with degree of burn, anatomic site, and exposures. This information will be useful for targeted intervention among high-risk occupations and work groups.     

Paths to sustainable wood supply to the pulp and paper industry in Indonesia after diseases have forced a change of species from acacia to eucalypts

In Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia and Sabah in Malaysia, the spread of two diseases, aggravated by damage by fauna, and by the humid tropical environment, has forced a change of planted species from Acacia mangium to Eucalyptus pellita and related interspecific hybrids, at a scale unprecedented in the history of plantation forestry. This experience highlights the risks of relying on any single species for large contiguous plantation estates in environments with endemic biotic and abiotic stresses. There is a need to transition to multiple-species plantation forestry, adopting the opportunities for changeover of species and varieties in short-rotation systems. Industry’s responses for coping with this rapid change have been helped by earlier collaborative research on acacia which promoted management practices that conserved site resources and avoided site degradation during the critical harvesting and inter-rotation phase. The current growth rates of E. pellita and its hybrids are lower than that of A. mangium. Estimates of production from plantations and expanding capacity of the pulp and paper mills highlight a risk of significant shortfalls in wood production. Improving the quality and consistency of forest operations and revision and refocussing of research and development are critical to set and achieve realistic targets for stable, incremental improvements in productivity. Each company should consider investing systematically in contemporary adaptive research for developing and applying integrated management practices that are efficient and feasible on large scales and suitable for their circumstances. There is also a critical need for research to understand the dynamics of local human capital and its relationships with the forestry sector, with focus on improving access to a stable labour force.     

Guía clínica de la Asociación Europea de Urología sobre la evaluación y el tratamiento no quirúrgico de la incontinencia urinaria

ContextThe previous European Association of Urology (EAU) guidelines on urinary incontinence comprised a summary of sections of the 2009 International Consultation on Incontinence. A decision was made in 2010 to rewrite these guidelines based on an independent systematic review carried out by the EAU guidelines panel, using a sustainable methodology.ObjectiveWe present a short version of the full guidelines on assessment, diagnosis, and nonsurgical treatment of urinary incontinence, with the aim of increasing their dissemination.Evidence acquisitionEvidence appraisal included a pragmatic review of existing systematic reviews and independent new literature searches, based on Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome questions. Appraisal of papers was carried out by an international panel of experts, who also collaborated on a series of consensus discussions, to develop concise structured evidence summaries and action-based recommendations using a modified Oxford system.Evidence summaryThe full version of the guidelines is available online (http://www.uroweb.org/guidelines/online-guidelines/). The guidelines include algorithms that refer the reader back to the supporting evidence, and they are more immediately useable in daily clinical practice.ConclusionsThese new guidelines present an up-to-date summary of the available evidence, together with clear clinical algorithms and action-based recommendations based on the best available evidence. Where such evidence does not exist, they present a consensus of expert opinion.     

Clinical outcomes and complication profile of total hip arthroplasty after lumbar spine fusion: a meta-analysis and systematic review

European Spine Journal - Hip and spine pathology can alter the biomechanics of spino-pelvic mobility. Lumbar spine fusions can reduce the mobility of the lumbar spine and therefore result in...     

Assessment of PI-RADS v2 categories ≥ 3 for diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer

Abdominal Radiology - To assess the diagnostic accuracy of PI-RADS v2 categories ≥ 3 to detect clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) against histopathology of...     

Media and scientific communication about the COVID-19 pandemic and the repercussions on the population's mental health: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:Good communication strategies are essential in times of crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic. The dissemination of inaccurate information and the need for social isolation to control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have shown a negative impact on the population, causing damage to mental health, with the appearance or worsening of symptoms of stress, fear, anxiety, and depression. Thus, the systematic review study is intended to gather evidence on the impact of information about COVID-19 on the mental health of the population.Methods:This systematic review protocol is conducted using the guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocols and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The review aims to include published studies that address the exposure of the general population to information about COVID-19, through observational and experimental studies, which consider the following outcomes: fear, stress, anxiety, and depression. Thus, a comprehensive research strategy will be conducted in the following databases: PubMed / Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, Science Direct, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Two independent reviewers will perform all procedures, such as study selection, data collection, and methodological evaluation. Disagreements will be forwarded to a third reviewer. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for data analysis.Results:This systematic review will provide evidence of the influence of access to and consumption of media and scientific information about COVID-19 on the mental health of the population. It will consider information about the characterization of the study and the population studied, clinical and epidemiological information on mental health, and data on access to and consumption of media and scientific information.Discussion:The results should inform about the consequences of communication about the new coronavirus on the emergence or worsening of psychological and psychiatric symptoms, allowing to develop strategies to achieve effective communication of information to promote the mental health of the population.Systematic review registration number:PROSPERO CRD42020182918