American journal of industrial medicine
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Acute barium poisoning is most often the result of accidental or suicidal ingestion of the rodenticide, barium carbonate. We describe a trauma patient whose condition was complicated by severe acute barium toxicity from an explosion of the propellant, barium styphnate. In addition to critical injuries, the patient manifested classic signs of barium toxicity including repeated profound hypokalemia, cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory failure, prolonged gastrointestinal dysfunction, paralysis, myoclonus, hypertension, and profound lactic acidosis. ⋯ Considering the paucity of information concerning management of this life-threatening problem, the pathophysiology of barium toxicity, including the transfusion related hypokalemia, and its management is reviewed.
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Australia has maintained a total national malignant mesothelioma case register since 1980. There has been a marked increase in the incidence of mesothelioma in the last 20 years. Currently 450-600 cases are notified annually in a population of 20 million. While the history of the Wittenoom (Western Australia) crocidolite mine and its aftermath is well known, these cases comprise only 5% of the total. This study describes the incidence of mesothelioma in Australia from 1945 to 2000. ⋯ Australia's high incidence of mesothelioma is related to high past asbestos use, of all fiber types, in a wide variety of occupational and environmental settings. The number of cases in total is expected to be about 18,000 by 2020, with about 11,000 yet to appear.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of a traditional questionnaire with an icon/calendar-based questionnaire to assess occupational history.
Self-reported work histories are an essential tool for estimating exposure in many occupational epidemiologic studies. However, the transience of some occupations such as farm work can hamper recall, resulting in inaccurate reporting. To address this problem, we have developed an icon/calendar-based questionnaire. This study compares work histories collected via this questionnaire to those collected via a traditional questionnaire. ⋯ The icon-calendar questionnaire was more effective than the traditional questionnaire for obtaining complex work histories during interviews, producing a more complete picture of a person's work history.
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To design questionnaires for epidemiologic research among children of migrant farmworkers, researchers need to consider ways to best solicit information about pesticide exposures. ⋯ These focus groups helped to provide information for developing questionnaire items related to pesticide exposure among migrant farmworker children, and highlighted the importance of using bilingual community interviewers and including children as respondents.
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Pesticide exposure is a major preventable occupational hazard for farmworkers. This study examined the beliefs of Latino farmworkers in North Carolina's Christmas tree industry regarding pesticide exposure. ⋯ This study adds to the growing body of research which documents the health beliefs of Latino farmworkers in the U.S. relative to pesticides and pesticide safety. This literature is beginning to show convergence on several points (e.g., farmworker knowledge of acute vs. long-term illness resulting from pesticide exposure), as well as regional variation in pesticide safety beliefs. This study substantiates the need for pesticide safety education to address issues of control as well as beliefs.