Occupational medicine
-
Occupational medicine · Feb 2000
Association between bronchial hyper-reactivity and exposure to silicon carbide.
A clinical study of 191 workers in the silicon carbide production industry was carried out in order to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms (wheezing, dyspnoea and breathlessness after exercise). Such symptoms occurred in 50 (26.1%) subjects, of whom 24 accepted testing for bronchial reactivity. ⋯ These findings suggest that exposure to SiC may be associated with bronchial hyper-reactivity. Positive results were more frequent in women than in men, while differences between smokers and non-smokers were insignificant, a phenomenon that has often been noted in persons exposed to massive risk.
-
Occupational medicine · Jan 2000
Variation in licensing authority standards for diabetic taxi drivers in the United Kingdom. Driving and Employment Working Party of the British Diabetic Association.
In the UK, prospective taxi-drivers with diabetes are licensed locally according to variable criteria. In order to determine the criteria used for licensing, questionnaires were sent to all 422 local licensing authorities. Responses were obtained from 372 authorities (88% response rate). ⋯ Most local authorities would prefer taxi-licensing to operate centrally rather than locally. It is apparent that the current UK system for licensing diabetic taxi drivers is variable and not evidence-based. A nationally organized system with clearly defined criteria and the capacity for individual consideration, would be more fair and consistent, and would be unlikely to compromise road safety.
-
Occupational medicine · May 1999
Medical students and congenital colour vision deficiency: unnoticed problems and the case for screening.
The results are given of a questionnaire study to determine the range of difficulties that doctors notice in their work due to congenital colour vision deficiency (CCVD). The study is primarily qualitative. A questionnaire was sent to 40 self-selected doctors, 35 of whom were general practitioners (GPs). ⋯ Twenty-three of the doctors also reported difficulties as medical students and their answers are given verbatim. The results are discussed in relation to other studies and data on colour vision. The reasons for and against screening medical students for this deficiency are considered and it is concluded that there is a strong case for screening.
-
Occupational medicine · Apr 1999
Smoking, heavy physical work and low back pain: a four-year prospective study.
Data from a community-based four-year prospective study were used to test the hypothesis that heavy physical work is a stronger predictor of low back pain in smokers than in non-smokers. Of 708 working responders without low back pain during the entire year prior to 1990, 562 (79%) completed a questionnaire four years later in 1994. ⋯ In non-smokers, having a job with heavy lifting and much standing was not associated with low back pain. One explanation may be that smoking leads to reduced perfusion and malnutrition of tissues in or around the spine and causes these tissues to respond inefficiently to mechanical stress.