Book Review

Abstract

Background:

One of the main health concerns of epoxy resins is their role as skin sensitizer. This sensitization is not uncommon, because the prevalence ranges around 1–12% of the general population.

Objectives:

Perform a cross sectional study in a patch test population from Northeastern Italy to investigate the prevalence of epoxy resins sensitization among patients with suspected contact dermatitis. Subsequently, relate findings to patients’ occupation and evaluate time trend of prevalence.

Methods:

The final study database included 19 088 consecutive patients, tested from 1996 to 2010 in Northeastern Italy.

Results:

The overall prevalence of epoxy resins sensitization was 0·89%. Dermatitis most frequently involved hands (40·25%). In both sexes, we find a significant correlation in mechanics, woodworkers, and chemical industry workers; and in males only, among farmers and fishers, construction workers, and unemployed. We found significant increase of sensitization in construction workers in the analyzed period.

Conclusions:

The overall prevalence of sensitization to epoxy resins in Northeastern Italy is in line with other European countries, but we found an increased risk of sensitization in some professions and an increasing trend of prevalence in construction workers. Better preventive actions are strongly advised in higher risk professions, with particular attentions towards building sector.     

Achieving vocational training goals during six months in an Italian general practice

Background: General practice training in Europe is still an unresolved issue. Italy has developed a formation course similar to specialty schools, awarding a certificate of attendance at the end of a 3-year period. Its training goals are defined mainly as work hours in medical facilities, including two semesters at two general practices.

Objectives: To evaluate if a registrar, during a semester in a general practice, has access to a case spectrum consistent enough to achieve the training goals, both ‘methodological’ (work organization targets) and ‘specific’ (targets of opportunity).

Methods: During a six-month period, every patient contact qualified for tutoring was recorded. For each visit, access mode and priority, patient name, age, patient reason for encounter (RFE), diagnosis, referrals, prescribed laboratory tests and treatment were recorded. Data was evaluated as in other Italian medical specialties; i.e. compared to target numbers.

Results: A total of 1 828 contacts and 2 437 RFE in 122 work days were recorded. There were 1 007 and 613 contacts with and without appointment respectively, 88 ‘family contacts,’ 44 scheduled check-ups, 11 phone contacts, and 65 nurse interventions. Of all contacts, 9.8% were indirect. In six months, we had at least one contact with 792 patients out of 1 500 (52.8%). Main RFE resulted from respiratory and musculoskeletal symptoms while most frequent diagnoses belonged to musculoskeletal, cardiovascular and respiratory fields.

Conclusions: A six months training period can be sufficient for representing a general practitioner's work organization and primary care epidemiology. However, deficiencies were observed.     

Remarks to the Illinois House of Representatives Executive Committee Hearing Regarding State Carbon Monoxide Detector Act (HB 603)

Glyphosate is among the pesticides most frequently reported to the California EPA Pesticide Illness Surveillance Program. We analyzed glyphosate-related calls to the Pesticide Illness Surveillance Program in order to assess the number of reports involving systemic symptoms and to better understand the nature and severity of reported cases. Data on glyphosate and other pesticides are available for the years 1982–1997 including: type of exposure (agricultural/other); target organ(s) affected (skin/eye/respiratory/systemic); exposure(s); an assessment of causal relationship (possible, probable, or definite); and limited medical text. Of 815 total glyphosate calls, most involved topical irritation of the eye (n=399), skin (n=250), upper airway (n=7), or combinations of these sites (n=32) without systemic symptoms. Of the 187 systemic cases, only 22 had symptoms recorded as probably or definitely related to glyphosate exposure alone. The reported symptoms were not severe, expected to be limited in duration, and frequently inconsistent with the route of exposure and/or previous experience with glyphosate. We conclude that call volume is not a reliable indicator of the actual incidence or severity of glyphosate-related incidents in California.     

Poisonings in the Nordic countries in 2007: A 5-year epidemiological follow-up

Aim. To map mortality and morbidity of poisonings in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in 2007 and undertake a comparison with a corresponding study in 2002. Methods. Morbidity was as for 2002 defined as acute poisoning (ICD-10 codes, main and subsidiary diagnoses) treated in hospitals. The figures were extracted from the National Patient/Hospital Registers. Deaths recorded as acute poisoning (using corresponding ICD-10 codes) were collected from the National Cause of Death Registers. Results. Annual mortality of acute poisonings per 100000 inhabitants (rate) for 2007 was 22.4 in Finland, an important increase from 16.7 per 100000 in 2002. The increase was mainly due to a change in coding of alcohol, but also represented a slight increase in fatal alcohol intoxications per se. The poisoning death rate in the other Nordic countries varied between 8–13 and was at the same level as for 2002. The morbidity rates for 2007 between158–285 per 100000 inhabitants represented a slight increase compared to 2002 figures. Conclusion. The increase in poisoning death rate for alcohol, and thus total rate in Finland in 2007 compared to 2002, has further increased the gap to the other Nordic countries. Poisoning morbidity rates in the Nordic countries are of the same level, but the variability shown indicates that more harmonization and collaboration is needed to increase the data quality.     

The Severity of Toxic Reactions to Ephedra: Comparisons to Other Botanical Products and National Trends from 1993–2002

Objective. Ephedra is a botanical product widely used to enhance alertness, as a weight loss aide, and as a decongestant. Its reported adverse effects led the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban ephedra-containing products in the United States in 2004. This study's purpose was to compare toxicity from botanical products containing ephedra to nonephedra products. Methods. The Toxic Exposure Surveillance System (TESS), a national poison center database, was utilized to determine the number and outcomes of cases involving botanical products reported from 1993–2002. Cases listing both a botanical product and any other drugs or chemicals were excluded a priori. Ten-year hazard rates (moderate outcomes + major outcomes + deaths per 1000 exposures) were used to compare botanical product categories. Results. There were 21,533 toxic exposures with definitive medical outcomes reported over the 10 yrs where a botanical product was the only substance involved. Of these, 4,306 (19.9%) had moderate or major medical outcomes and there were two deaths, for an overall hazard score of 200 per 1000 exposures. The number of ephedra reports to poison centers increased 150-fold over the 10-yr period. The hazard rate for products that contained only ephedra was 250 per 1000 exposures and 267 per 1000 exposures for products that contained ephedra and additional ingredients; whereas the hazard score for only nonephedra botanical products was 96 per 1000 exposures. The rate ratios for multibotanical products with ephedra (RR 1.33; 95% C.I. 1.27–1.40) and for single-ingredient ephedra products (RR 1.25; 95% C.I. 1.11–1.40) were both two to six times higher than those of other common botanical products. Yohimbe-containing products had the highest hazard score (417) and rate ratio (2.08; 95% C.I. 1.59–2.80). Conclusion. Ephedra-containing botanical products accounted for a significant number of toxic exposures with severe medical outcomes reported to poison centers. Hazard rate analysis suggests poison center–reported events involving ephedra-containing botanical products were much more likely to result in severe medical outcomes than those involving nonephedra-containing botanical products. These data support recommendations by policymakers that the sale of ephedra should be prohibited to protect consumers. Our data suggest that the botanical product, yohimbe, may also be associated with unacceptably high risks of toxicity and should receive close scrutiny from health policymakers.     

南京市居民咽喉返流疾病的流行病学调查分析

目的了解南京市居民的咽喉返流疾病（ Laryngopharyngeal reflux disease, LPR ）的现状,为临床工作提供诊疗依据。方法采取多阶段随机抽样法抽取2500例南京市居民,对其LPR的患病情况进行调查,返流指数量表（Therefluxsymptomindex,RSI）按咽喉返流问卷的评分定义,总积分大于13分为阳性,并对相关因素进行分析。结果有效问卷1950例,阳性75例,患病率为3．86％（75／1950）;其中男性的患病率为3．77％（43／1140）,女性的患病率为3．95％（32／810）,两组患病率比较差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。声嘶或发音障碍（症状1）和持续清嗓（症状2）与LPR相关性最大。51—70岁年龄组返流指数量表（RSI）阳性率显著高于其他年龄组。结论南京市LPR的发病率为3．86％,症状1和症状2是LPR的主要相关因素,51～70岁年龄组患者应特别警惕LPR可能性。     

Burden of Cirrhosis and Other Chronic Liver Diseases Caused by Specific Etiologies in China, 1990-2016:Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016

Objective To estimate the burden of cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases caused by specific etiologies in China.Methods Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016(GBD 2016) were used. We evaluated the burden by analyzing age-sex-province-specific prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted lifeyears(DALYs) of 33 provinces in China.Results From 1990 to 2016, prevalence cases in thousands increased by 73.7% from 6833.3(95% UI:6498.0–7180.6) to 11869.6(95% UI: 11274.6–12504.7). Age-standardized mortality and DALY rates per100,000 decreased by 51.2% and 53.3%, respectively. Male and elderly people(aged ≥ 60 years)preponderance were found for prevalence, mortality, and DALYs. The number of prevalence cases,deaths, and DALYs due to hepatitis C virus(HCV) increased by 86.6%, 8.7%, and 0.9%, respectively. Also,age-standardized prevalence rates decreased in 31 provinces, but increased in Yunnan and Shandong.The Socio-demographic Index(SDI) values were negatively correlated with age-standardized mortality and DALY rates by provinces in 2016; the correlation coefficients were-0.817 and-0.828, respectively.Conclusion Cirrhosis and other chronic liver diseases remain a huge health burden in China, with the increase of population and the aging of population. Hepatitis B virus(HBV) remains the leading cause of the health burden in China.