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Wednesday, August 27, 2008
 Latest
Respiratory Medicine Medical and Health News Headlines
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Respiratory Medicine Medical and Health News Headlines
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All Recent Respiratory Medicine Medical News Headlines |
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Pleural effusion due to intra-abdominal extravasation of parenteral nutrition
An 8-week-old preterm boy experienced respiratory deterioration due to unilateral pleural effusion. Intra-abdominal extravasation of parenteral fluid with leakage into the pleural cavity was suspected based on biochemical analysis of the effluent. Perforation of the central venous catheter in the peritoneal cavity was subsequently confirmed by contrast roentgenography. As in peritoneal dialysis and hepatic hydrothorax, pleuroperitoneal communication needs to be considered in patients exhibiting pleural effusion with a central venous line below the diaphragm. Pediatr Pulmonol. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. (Source: Pediatric Pulmonology)...
POSTED 08/26/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Childhood respiratory disease linked to anxiety in adulthood
A high respiratory rate measured at age 4 months is associated with a significantly increased risk for developing anxiety disorders in adulthood, US researchers report. (Source: MedWire News - Respiratory)...
POSTED 08/26/2008 at 07:00 PM --
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Fruit juice may block benefits of antihistamines
People with allergic rhinitis should avoid drinking fruit juices at the same time as taking antihistamines, say researchers at the 236th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. (Source: MedWire News - Respiratory)...
POSTED 08/26/2008 at 07:00 PM --
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Health care costs reduced by california tobacco control program
Tobacco control programs can reduce smoking, and when successful, they reduce personal health care costs, according to a study released on August 25, 2008 in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine. The study specifically tracks the California Tobacco Control Program, which was established in 1989 with the goal of changing social norms surrounding tobacco use. (Source: Smoking / Quit Smoking News From Medical News Today)...
POSTED 08/26/2008 at 02:00 AM --
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Why i became an occupational physician ...
(Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Monitor
(Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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The orebro musculoskeletal pain questionnaire
(Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Website review
(Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Thoughts on lawnmower blades
(Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Occupational medicine in canada
(Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Quality of occupational health provision: two rating scales and their determinants
Background To develop quality scales for occupational health services (OHSs) and describe and explain variation in quality across the UK university sector.
Methods Analysis of data from a national survey, to which 93 of 117 (79%) UK universities responded, and from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Two quality scales were generated, one from the 1985 International Labour Organization recommendations on OHSs and one from clinicians’ perceptions (good, adequate, poor) about their OHS. The determinants examined were number of university staff, type of OHS (in-house, contracted, none/other), number of full-time equivalent occupational health doctors and nurses and OHS leadership (doctor, nurse, other).
Results There was wide variation in quality and a correlation (r = 0.65) between scales. In-house service, increasing service size and leadership by a doctor or nurse were determinants of higher quality; size of the university was not statistically significant after taking account of these factors.
Conclusions Some university OHSs may not be structured or operated to promote the highest quality of service. Inspection of individual quality scale items may be informative. These scales may be applicable in other employment sectors. (Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms among office workers
Background To date, no study has investigated the prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms in all the body regions in the general population of office workers.
Aims To estimate the 12-month prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms in the head/neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists/hands, upper back, low back, hips, knees and ankles/feet among office workers.
Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey using a descriptive questionnaire distributed to 2000 office workers in 54 workplaces.
Results A total of 1428 subjects (71%) returned the questionnaire, of whom 1185 were eligible for the study. The annual prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms attributed to work was 63%. Sites of symptoms, in order of prevalence, were head/neck (42%), low back (34%), upper back (28%), wrists/hands (20%), shoulders (16%), ankles/feet (13%), knees (12%), hips (6%) and elbows (5%). Female office workers were more likely to report symptoms in the head/neck, shoulder, upper back and ankle/foot regions than male counterparts (P < 0.05). Office workers younger than 30 years were more likely to have symptoms in the upper back than those older than 49 years (P < 0.05).
Conclusion Musculoskeletal symptoms are common among office workers with a high proportion experiencing symptoms in the spine. The prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms in some body regions is dependent on gender and age. This indicates a need to develop specific strategies to reduce the occurrence of such symptoms among office workers. (Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Sickness absence and psychosocial work conditions: a multilevel study
Background Psychosocial work conditions, particularly psychological job demands, are inconsistently associated with sickness absence rates. This might be the result of investigating the psychosocial work environment at the individual level, reflecting personal perceptions rather than actual demands.
Aim To investigate associations between sickness absence and psychosocial work conditions at both the individual and the workplace level.
Methods A cross-sectional study of insurance company employees (n = 395) in four departments. Psychological job demands, job control and job support were investigated at the individual level using the self-completed Questionnaire on Experience and Assessment of Work. An external occupational psychologist interviewed the supervisor and a group of employees of each department, assessing job demands, job control, job support and psychological distress at the workplace level. These data were related to the number of short (1–7 days), medium (8–21 days) and long (>21 days) episodes of sickness absence in the period January 2001 to December 2002.
Results A total of 244 questionnaires (62%) were suitable for analysis. Quantitative job control scores at the individual level differed from qualitative data at the workplace level. Self-assessed job demands and control were unrelated to sickness absence. The rates of short and long episodes of absence were higher in the department with combined high demands and low control, assessed at the workplace level.
Conclusions The associations between psychosocial work conditions and sickness absence depended on the level at which the former were assessed. More multilevel research is needed to disentangle the relations between psychosocial work conditions and sickness absence. (Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Hepatitis b in moroccan health care workers
Aim To evaluate knowledge and perception of hepatitis B, including prevention, among Moroccan health care workers (HCWs) and to estimate seroprevalence of hepatitis B and vaccine coverage (VC).
Methods Four hundred and twenty HCWs were randomly selected and stratified by site: 120 in Rabat, 140 in Taza and 160 in Témara–Skhirat. The study included an anonymous questionnaire about knowledge of hepatitis B and its prevention and a serological survey. Oral statements and vaccine registers were used to analyse the VC of the HCWs. Serological testing and VC were analysed according to the occupational exposure.
Results Participation rates in the questionnaire and serological tests were 68% (285/420) and 66% (276/420), respectively. Fifteen (5%) HCWs had a history of hepatitis B. All HCWs considered that hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection may be acquired through blood exposure. Vaccination was acknowledged as a necessary means against HBV transmission by 276 (98%) HCWs. Forty-two per cent HCWs had no HBV serological markers. The prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen was 1%. The mean prevalence of hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) was 28% and was significantly higher (P < 0.05) among nursing auxiliaries (57%), nurses (30%), medical physicians (31%) and midwives (25%) than among laboratory technicians (13%). According to the vaccination registers (available in two sites), VC (≥3 doses) was 55%. VC was 75% among midwives, 61% among nurses, 53% among nursing auxiliaries and 38% among medical staff. Of the fully vaccinated HCWs without anti-HBc, 51% had serological evidence of protection.
Conclusion HBV vaccines should be more readily available for Moroccan HCWs by reinforcing current vaccination programmes. (Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Psychometrics and validation of a screening instrument for sickness absence
Background Absence from work due to psychosocial health complaints has considerable negative effects for employees, employers and society. A better and more effective strategy would be early identification of employees at risk for psychosocial sickness absence and early intervention to prevent sickness absence as far as possible.
Aims To assess psychometric characteristics and the external validation of a recently developed screening instrument, called ‘Werkwijzer’, for the identification of employees at risk for sickness absence due to psychosocial health complaints.
Methods Exploratory factor analysis was applied on items of the instrument. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine internal consistency of the subscales. Sum scores on the screening instrument were correlated to absenteeism data to determine their potential for predicting sickness absence. Predictive value was investigated, using objective sickness absence data as criterion measure. Sensitivity and specificity rates were calculated for external validation.
Results For both men and women, three interpretable factors were found. Sum scores on the instrument showed low correlations with sickness absence. The association between ‘being at risk’ (yes/no) and sickness absence (yes/no) was odds ratio (OR) 3.1 (95% CI 1.5–6.5) for men and OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.4–2.7) for women. Sensitivity scores were rather low, whereas specificity scores were remarkably high.
Conclusions The results of this study provide the screening instrument a theoretic and scientific basis. Predictive value is promising, when absence is treated as a dichotomous measure. Sensitivity and specificity were unvarying during the development and validation phases of the instrument. (Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Health, psychosocial factors and retirement intentions among finnish physicians
Background Early retirement among physicians is a worldwide problem and all efforts to try to minimize it are of importance.
Aims To investigate whether characteristics of work, organization factors and health factors might be associated with retirement intentions among physicians.
Methods Cross-sectional survey data from the Finnish Health Care Professional Study was used. A random sample of Finnish physicians included 682 women and 701 men aged 45–65 years. A three-level retirement intention score was constructed based on responses to two questions asking about (i) willingness to continue working or retiring and (ii) pension-applying considerations. Health indicators used were self-rated health, work ability and sickness absence during the past 12 months. Karasek's job control and Colquitt's organizational justice were measured. Ordinal logistic regression models were used to analyse the data.
Results Self-reports of poor health [odds ratio (OR) 2.17, 95% CI 1.84–2.56], low work ability (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.12–1.46), taking sickness absence (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12–1.46), low job control (OR 1.71, 95% CI 1.50–1.95) and organizational injustice (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.17–1.39) all independently increased the likelihood of retirement intentions. Low job control strengthened the associations of poor health and low work ability with retirement intentions. In addition, organizational injustice strengthened the associations of poor health and sickness absences with retirement intentions.
Conclusion Low job control and organizational injustice may intensify the effect of poor health on retirement intentions. Promoting control opportunities and organizational justice might help to decrease early retirement among physicians. (Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Epidemiology of occupational injury among cleaners in the healthcare sector
Background The cleaning profession has been associated with multiple ergonomic and chemical hazards which elevate the risk for occupational injury.
Aims This study investigated the epidemiology of occupational injury among cleaners in healthcare work settings in the Canadian province of British Columbia.
Methods Incidents of occupational injury among cleaners, resulting in lost time from work or medical care, over a period of 1 year in two healthcare regions were extracted from a standardized operational database and with person-years obtained from payroll data. Detailed analysis was conducted using Poisson regression modeling.
Results A total of 145 injuries were identified among cleaners, with an annual incidence rate of 32.1 per 100 person-years. After adjustment for age, gender, subsector, facility, experience and employment status, Poisson regression models demonstrated that a significantly higher relative risk (RR) of all injury, musculoskeletal injury and cuts was associated with cleaning work in acute care facilities, compared with long-term care facilities. Female cleaners were at a higher RR of all injuries and contusions than male cleaners. A lower risk of all injury and allergy and irritation incidents among part-time or casual workers was found. Cleaners with >10 years of experience were at significantly lower risk for all injury, contusion and allergy and irritation incidents.
Conclusion Cleaners were found to be at an elevated risk of all injury categories compared with healthcare workers in general. (Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Health risk in the offspring of female semiconductor workers
Background There are no published studies focusing on adverse birth outcomes or infant mortality in the semiconductor industry.
Aim To investigate whether female workers have higher risks of any adverse birth outcome or death from congenital malformation.
Methods A total of 27 610 female workers had been employed in eight semiconductor companies in Taiwan between 1980 and 2000. Using the national birth registry, their live born children were identified, and then any deaths under 5 years of age with or without congenital malformations were identified by linking with the national death registry. Periconceptional exposure was defined as the mother having been employed in the semiconductor industry 3 months before and 3 months after conception of the live born infants.
Results A total of 24 223 live births were included. No significant association between adverse birth outcomes or death with congenital malformation and maternal employment in semiconductor industry was found either in the period of 1980–94 or 1995–2000.
Conclusions There is no convincing evidence that female workers employed during the periconceptional period in the semiconductor industry had higher risks of having adverse birth outcomes or death due to congenital malformations. However, prospective research is warranted to confirm these findings. (Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Sir jacob epstein, torso in metal from rock drill (1913-1914).: sculpture bronze object: 705 x 584 x 445 mm. tate britain, london
(Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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Asbestos-related diseases: time for technology sharing
(Source: Occupational Medicine)...
POSTED 08/25/2008 at 11:00 PM --
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