Industrial back belts and low back pain: Mechanisms and outcomes

The recent increased utilization of industrial back belts as personal protective equipment in the workplace has generated considerable controversy among occupational health and safety professionals in the United States. The purpose of this article is to review the literature regarding proposed mechanisms of action of these devices and studies related to outcome of belt utilization in the prevention of low back pain and disability in the workplace. At the present time, neither the suspected mechanisms of action nor the efficacy of these devices in the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of work-related low back pain has been adequately demonstrated in clinical trials. As a result, generally accepted guidelines regarding the safe use of belts in the occupational setting have not been established. Based on this review it is recommended that further well-controlled, prospective, randomized clinical trials are necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of these devices as personal protective equipment. During the interim, the decision to prescribe belts to employees in the workplace should be at the discretion of an adequately trained occupational health care provider. These devices should not be provided as an alternative to appropriate administrative and/or engineering controls.     

Health status,work limitations,and return-to-work trajectories in injured workers with musculoskeletal disorders

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe the health status and work limitations in injured workers with musculoskeletal disorders at 1 month post-injury, stratified by return-to-work status, and to document their return-to-work trajectories 6 months post-injury. METHODS: A sample of 632 workers with a back or upper extremity musculoskeletal disorder, who filed a Workplace Safety and Insurance Board lost-time claim injury, participated in this prospective study. Participants were assessed at baseline (1 month post-injury) and at 6 months follow-up. RESULTS: One month post-injury, poor physical health, high levels of depressive symptoms and high work limitations are prevalent in workers, including in those with a sustained first return to work. Workers with a sustained first return to work report a better health status and fewer work limitations than those who experienced a recurrence of work absence or who never returned to work. Six months post-injury, the rate of recurrence of work absence in the trajectories of injured workers who have made at least one return to work attempt is high (38%), including the rate for workers with an initial sustained first return to work (27%). CONCLUSIONS: There are return-to-work status specific health outcomes in injured workers. A sustained first return to work is not equivalent to a complete recovery from musculoskeletal disorders.     

Subjective bias in reports of poor work adjustment in depressed patients

Twenty-five depressed inpatients were asked to report their adjustment at work during the 4-month period preceding their hospitalization. Two separate reports were given: the first during the acute illness phase and the second one 10-28 days later, after symptomatic remission following standardized pharmacotherapy. Thirty-two percent more patient ratings showed absence of adjustment problems on the second report compared with the first. Significant differences between the 2 reports were found in 7 of the 9 items on the Structured and Scaled Interview to Assess Maladjustment, which is designed to assess specific aspects of maladjustment at work. The changes in the scores of maladjustment correlated with the changes in the scores of depressive symptoms, and 40% of the variation in maladjustment scores was accounted for by the pessimism item of the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Much of the poor work adjustment reported by the acutely depressed patients thus seems to be caused by symptom-related subjective bias.     

"11.24"海难援救军人的心理健康状况分析

目的 探讨海难后军队应激援救人员的心理健康特点，为建立特定人群的心理健康评定体系提供科学依据。方法 采用症状自评量表和自行编制的调查表对39名1999－11－24烟台“大禹”海难1mo后的善后援救军人进行了心理健康测试，并将调查结果与对照军人和国内军人常模进行了比较。结果 接受调查的应激人群的SCL－90总分79.5%（31／39）的人评定为正常，总分≥160分为8例，占20.5%。SCL－90总分、射体化、焦虑、恐怖与精神病性因子与国内军人常模比较无显差异，但阳性项目数、强迫症状、人际敏感、抑郁、敌对及偏执因子分均显低于国内军人常模（P＜0.05-0.01）；而阳性症状均分显高于国内军人常模（P＜0.05）。应激人群的阳性项目数明显低于对照人群，而阳性症状的痛苦水平明显高于对照人群（P＜0.01）；阳性症状均分仍显高于对照人群（P＜0.05）。结论 提示受调查的应激人群的阳性症状均分显高于国内军人常模，改善婚姻状况和与同胸关系、完善上级领导工作方法和善后处理可以改善SCL－90结果，减少生活事件的刺激量可望改善其心理健康状况。     

无创正压通气不同压力支持水平对正常人呼吸做功的影响

目的 :观察无创正压通气 (NIPPV)不同压力水平对正常人呼吸做功的影响 ,为临床合理地应用NIPPV提供理论依据。方法 :选择 9例正常人行NIPPV并寻找出“最舒适”的吸气压力水平 (IPAP) ,在此压力基础上增加或减少 2 5 %的压力 ,构成低IPAP、最舒适IPAP和高IPAP三个压力水平 ,每一IPAP水平通气 15min以上 ,比较不同压力水平呼吸做功改变。结果 :受试者认为“最舒适”的IPAP为 (11.33± 3.2 0 )cmH2 O ,EPAP为 (4 .5 6± 0 .88)cmH2 O[相当于PSV水平为 (6 .77± 3.2 0 )cmH2 O]。与自主呼吸相比 ,NIPPV增加VE的同时 ,总的呼吸做功(Wtot)明显增加 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,而受试者吸气肌做功占总的吸气做功的百分比 (Wi,p/Wi)明显减少 (P <0 .0 5 )。在最舒适IPAP时 ,Wi,p/Wi降低到基础值的 14 %± 9%。这种变化趋势与IPAP的水平相关。结论 :NIPPV可以显著降低吸气肌肉做功。吸气肌做功减少的比例与IPAP的水平相关。研究的结果为NIPPV时PSV的参数设定提供了生理学的依据。     

Cardiac rehabilitation and return to work after coronary artery bypass surgery

The work situation of 66 male patients who underwent elective coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) and who had been randomly allocated to receive cardiac rehabilitation (group R) was compared with the work situation of 59 similar patients allocated to receive only standard care (group H). The follow-up time was one year. The proportions of subjects working in groups R and H were 26% and 20% (p=ns) before the CABS, 45% and 34% (p=ns) 6 months and 56% and 38% (p=ns) 12 months after the CABS, repectively. The increase in proportion of subjects who worked was significant in both groups at both 6 and 12 months after the CABS (p<0.05 for all changes). The increases were not significantly different between the whole groups, but in patients younger than 55 years of age, return to work was more frequent in group R than in group H (at 12 months 60% vs. 35%, p for the difference in change=0.02). Stepwise logistic regression analysis of the factors influencing return to work showed that a patient's judgement of his own working capacity as good 6 months after CABS (odds ratio (OR) 8.5, confidence interval (CI) 2.3–32.0), functional class 16 months after the CABS (OR 6.7, CI 1.8–24.5), his desire to work (OR 6.4, CI 1.6–26.0) and absence from work of less than 3 months before the CABS (OR 4.9, CI 1.2–20.2) were significant positive predictors of return to work 1 year after the CABS.     

Graduate Education in the Field of Substance Abuse

Abstract: Twenty-six part-time students from a variety of professional backgrounds are enrolled in the first year of a Graduate Diploma in Social Science (Drug Dependence) at the Phillip Institute of Technology in Victoria. The course is conducted under the auspices of the School of Social Work and commenced in 1984. It is argued that the graduates from this unique course could play a key role in providing personnel to fill positions in the areas of clinical work, staff development, drug education, programme development and management and research.     

A definition and systems view of anaerobic capacity

The purpose of this paper is both to define terms used in exercise physiology, i.e. anaerobic capacity, anaerobic work capacity and anaerobic potential, and develop a systems perspective of anaerobic capacity. Philosophical argument is used to support the proposed definitions and systems view, which is an approach to assist in the universal acceptance of such terms amongst scientific investigators, coaches and athletes, and provide a focus on physiological mechanisms associated with anaerobic capacity which may be the subject of future investigation.     

Serum gastrin and pepsinogen in shift workers

Summary Gastrointestinal complaints, including peptic ulcer, are believed to be associated and enhanced by shift work (SW). However, there are no clear reports in the literature about this acquired pathology. Serum gastrin (G) and group I pepsinogen (PG1) are thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of peptic ulcer and may be considered a useful test of the gastric function. Five adult male foundry shift workers, without any demonstrated gastrointestinal pathology, were studied over a month's span during the following weekly rotating shift schedule: 07.45–16.45, 06.00–14.00, 14.00–22.00, 22.00–06.00. Six adult, day-working males acted as controls. Blood samples drawn at the beginning and at the end of each weekly shift were assayed for G and PG1 utilizing RIA kits. Our data showed that SW causes a prominent change in the gastrin/acidopepsin secretion system.