Laboratory compliance with federal government and professional society recommendations

Quality assurance issues have assumed growing importance in the cytology laboratory. The 1988 Clinical Laboratories Improvement Amendment (CLIA '88) (United States Department of Health and Human Services, Federal Register: U.S. Government Printing Office 1990;55:9495) regulates the patient identifiers and clinical data on the requisition form but does not mandate physician compliance to provide the information. We investigated the use of patient identifiers and clinical data by laboratories as specimen acceptance/rejection criteria. We surveyed 81 board certified cytopathologists and 235 randomly selected cytology laboratories for acceptance criteria of cytology specimens and received responses from 104. Approximately two thirds of all responding laboratories had specific criteria for rejecting specimens on the basis of inadequate identification or clinical data. While the vast majority required the specimens to be identified with patient name, collection date, and specimen source, a minority of laboratories required clinical information such as LMP, prior atypical cytologic/histologic specimens, and history of previous therapy. Little correlation was found between practice setting and the use of rejection criteria. Diagn Cytopathol 1994; 11:85–92. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A prospective study of fatal occupational accidents -- relationship to sleeping difficulties and occupational factors

Very little is known about the association between sleep and (fatal) occupational accidents. This study investigated this relationship using register data of self-rated sleep difficulties, together with occupational and demographic characteristics. The variables were related to subsequent occupational fatal accidents. A national sample of 47,860 individuals was selected at regular intervals over a period of 20 years, and interviewed over the phone on issues related to work and health. The responses were linked to the cause of death register (suicides excluded) and the data set was subjected to a (multivariate) Cox regression survival analysis. One hundred and sixty six fatal occupational accidents occurred, and the significant predictors were: male vs. female: relative risk (RR)=2.30 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.56-3.38; difficulties in sleeping (past 2 weeks): RR=1.89 with CI=1.22-2.94; and non-day work: RR=1.63 with CI=1.09-2.45. No significant effect was seen for age, socio-economic group, hectic work, overtime (>50 h per week), or physically strenuous work. It was concluded that self-reported disturbed sleep is a predictor of accidental death at work, in addition to non-day work and male gender.     

Characterization of sports by the Vo2 dynamics of athletes in response to sinusoidal work load

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specificity of maximal oxygen uptake (Vo_2max) and the dynamic response of oxygen uptake (Vo₂) to sinusoidal work load in distance runners and in American-football players. Sinusoidal work load during ergometer cycling was carried from 30 W to 60% to Vo_2max(60% Vo_2max) for a 2 min period. Vo₂ was measured by the breath-by-breath method. The subjects were 10 distance runners (DRs), 10 American-football players (AFPs), and 11 untrained men (UTM). Mean Vo_2max was 64.4 mL kg^-1 min^-1 in the DRs, 53.1 mL kg^-1 min^-1 in the AFPs and 47.3 mL kg^-1 min^-1 in the UTM. The fundamental amplitudes ofthe Vo₂ response, nomalized by dividing by steady state Vo₂ at 60% Vo_2max were similar in the AFPs (20.3%) and the UTM (19.5%), and both were significantly less than in the DRs (25.5%). Phase shift to work load expressed in degrees was similar in the AFPs (87.7d?) and UTM (88.0d?), but significantly greater than in the DRs (80.4d?). HR dynamics in all three groups were similar to a dynamic Vo₂ response. These findings suggest that development of the dynamic Vo₂ response and higher Vo_2max in the AFPs there is no improvement in the dynamic Vo₂ response. The results of the present study demonstrate that athletes participating in different sports have characteristic dynamic Vo₂ responses during cycling exercise.     

Sleep on the Night Shift: 24-Hour EEG Monitoring of Spontaneous Sleep/Wake Behavior

The present study sought to objectively describe the spontaneous sleep/wakefulness pattern of shift workers during a 24-hour period. Portable Medilog tape-recorders were used for ambulatory EEG monitoring of 25 male papermill workers (25-55 years) during days with night and afternoon work. The results showed that sleep after night work was two hours shorter than after afternoon work. The sleep reduction affected mainly Stage 2 and REM sleep while slow wave sleep was unchanged. In connection with night work 28% of the workers took a nap in the afternoon. These naps contained a large proportion of slow wave sleep and were, apparently, caused by the sleep deficit after the short main sleep period. The EEG recordings also revealed that 20% of the participants had sleep episodes during night work. These naps were as long as the afternoon naps, were experienced as "dozing offs" rather than naps, occurred at the time of the trough of the circadian wakefulness rhythm, and were concomitant with extreme subjective sleepiness and low rated work load. It was concluded that not only the sleep of shift workers was disturbed, but also the wakefulness--to the extent that sleepiness during night work sometimes reached a level where reasonable wakefulness could not be maintained. The latter observation is probably of special importance in work situations demanding a great responsibility for human lives or for great economic values.     

Persistent organochlorines, sedentary occupation, obesity and human male subfertility

BACKGROUND: Studies have suggested that the quality of human semen has been declining over recent decades, presumably because of lifestyle or environmental factors. METHODS: Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides were analysed in the plasma of 25 men with poor semen quality, 20 men with normal semen quality and idiopathic subfertility and 27 men with normal semen quality and female factor subfertility. Samples of seminal fluid were also analysed to assess the relationship between the levels in blood and semen. RESULTS: The results indicate no difference in the levels of organochlorines between the groups. The levels of organochlorines in seminal fluid were proportional to the levels in plasma, but approximately 40 times lower. Men with poor semen quality were three times more likely to be obese than men with normal semen quality. There was also a significant negative correlation between semen quality parameters and body mass index among men with normal semen quality. The prevalence of sedentary work was lowest among men with the best semen quality. CONCLUSIONS: Poor semen quality was found to be associated with sedentary work and obesity but not with plasma levels of persistent organochlorines. More research is needed to assess whether sedentary lifestyle and obesity are causal factors in the decline of semen quality.     

Work absenteeism and well-being in patients treated for hypertension

The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of detectionand treatment of hypertension on work absenteeism and otherindicators of well-being. Because the study was performed aspart of a trial comparing structured and regular hypertensioncare, we also analysed the impact of these different methodsof organizing care. Matching for age and sex, three sampleswere drawn: one from regular medical care (N = 123) one fromstructured protocol care (N = 238) and one from normotensivesubjects, aware of their blood pressure level (N =128). Insurancedata did not reveal any differences between the three groupsin the amount of work absenteeism during a six-year period.Moreover, we found no short-term rise in work absenteeism duringthe first year after diagnosis. Finally, interviews failed toshow significant differences between the three groups with respectto general satisfaction with life or other aspects of psychologicalwell-being. We conclude that the patients treated for hypertension did notdiffer importantly from normotensive subjects with regard toillness-induced work absenteeism or other aspects of psychologicalwell-being.     

Cardiorespiratory and thermal effects of wearing gas protective clothing

Summary Six healthy men aged 25 to 37 walked on a treadmill at work levels of 21 and 41% of their for 25 to 30 min wearing gas protective clothing (GPC) consisting of an impermeable suit with a self-contained breathing apparatus (total weight 25 kg) or shorts (control tests, CT) in a temperate environment (t _a 24.3°C ± 1.0°C, rh 30–50%). When the GPC was worn at 21 and 41% , the most prominent increases, compared with the CT, were noted in the heart rate ( ± SE, 120 ± 5 vs 76 ± 3 beats min^–1 and 171 ± 5 vs 103 ± 3 beats min^–1), mean skin temperature (36.1 ± 0.2 vs 31.3° C ± 0.1°C and 36.9 ± 0.3 vs 30.9°C ± 0.4°C) and sweat rate (473 ± 51 vs 70 ± 23 g m^–2 h^–1 and 766 ± 81 vs 135 ± 18 g m^–2 h^–1) indicating a high cardiovascular and thermoregulatory strain, which was not decreased by ventilating the suit with an air flow of 281 min^–1 at 41% . The ventilation, oxygen consumption and production of carbon dioxide increased in relation to the extra weight of the GPC, partly dependent on the dynamic work level. It was concluded that the increase in the physiological load caused by the GPC was so high that the work-rest regimens, workers' level of physical fitness, cardiovascular health and heat tolerance should be considered whenever gas protective clothing is used.     

重庆市高校涉老专业学生养老服务从业意愿及影响因素研究

目的:探究高校涉老专业学生养老服务从业意愿及影响因素,为改善养老服务人才供给提供决策依据。方法:采用分层随机抽样法,通过主成分分析、相关性分析和Logistic逐步回归模型分析高校涉老专业学生养老服务从业意愿及其影响因素。结果:纳入有效样本711份,72.86%的高校涉老专业学生愿意从事养老服务行业,主成分分析和二元Logistic逐步回归结果显示,户籍属性、家庭经济状况、照顾老人经历、与祖辈关系程度、薪酬待遇、工作特征和行业环境是高校涉老专业学生养老服务从业意愿选择的影响因素(P<0.05)。结论:举国家之力改善养老服务行业薪酬待遇与行业环境、合理设置岗位职责,降低工作风险、强度和压力,应成为提升涉老专业学生从业意愿的首要任务。     

医防融合背景下我国基层医疗卫生机构医防工作现状及认知调查

目的 通过调查我国5省基层卫生人员医防工作的参与情况与对开展医防融合工作的认知现状, 探讨目前基层医防融合工作存在的问题,为促进基层医疗卫生机构医防融合工作提供参考依据。方法 采用多阶段分层抽样,根据地域方位差异分别抽取四川、贵州、江西、江苏和广东5个省,再依据经济状况每省选取3个区县,共15个区县的乡镇卫生院和社区卫生服务中心(站)的卫生人员(6 439名)进行问卷调查与访谈, 对调查数据进行描述并对医防融合工作参与情况与认知现状进行检验。结果 从事公共卫生工作的958名卫生人员中,仅有292人(30.5%)同时参与公共卫生服务与医疗服务,有615人(64.2%)只参与公共卫生服务; 51.7%的公共卫生工作人员以独立公共卫生服务的方式参与基本卫生服务。从事公共卫生工作的卫生人员主要以护理学和临床医学专业为主,仅15.6%的人员具有预防医学专业背景。从事临床医疗工作的1 964名人员中,1 464人(74.5%)医疗服务与公卫服务均参与,但对基本公共卫生服务的投入时间相对较少。不同岗位的卫生人员参与医防工作的情况不同(=2 208.874,P<0.001)。结论 基层临床医疗工作与公共卫生工作机制相对独立。公共卫生工作人员因缺乏疾病诊断治疗能力或无处方权而不能很好地参与到临床医疗工作中; 临床医疗工作人员因缺乏公共卫生知识和技能对公共卫生服务的参与受限。 建议整合医防融合服务机制,打造基层整合型服务; 培养基层医防复合型人才,加大全科医生培养力度。