Occupational medicine
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Occupational medicine · Jun 2019
Occupational asthma caused by peracetic acid-hydrogen peroxide mixture.
Healthcare practice in the UK has moved away from using aldehyde disinfectants for the decontamination of endoscopes, in part due to the risk of respiratory sensitization. Peracetic acid (PAA) in combination with hydrogen peroxide (HP) is a commonly used alternative. ⋯ This case provides evidence for a sensitization mechanism in OA caused by PAA-HP mixture.
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Occupational medicine · May 2019
Qualitative study of return to work following breast cancer treatment.
After 5 years' sick leave in Brazil, employees must retire due to disability. The duration from breast cancer surgery to the end of treatment should be ~9 months. However, diagnosis alone can take 6 months. Surveys administered soon after returning to work have highlighted problems regarding the slow speed of the treatment process and lack of protective legislation. ⋯ Results were similar to those reported by previous studies, with the exception of the facilitators. Cognitive effort is commonly considered a barrier. However, the present study had an unusually long duration before return to work, possibly reducing the acute effects of chemotherapy on cognition.
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Burnout is a pervasive health condition affecting many doctors at various stages in their careers. Characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment it can result in significant personal and professional consequences putting patient care at risk. Emotion regulation describes a capacity to self-modulate emotions to achieve desirable emotional outcomes. Emotional intelligence theory suggests that emotion regulation skills facilitate the maintenance of appropriate emotions, reducing or adapting undesirable emotions in oneself and others. Emotion regulation is usually automatic but can be controlled through learnt strategies. There is evidence that occupationally stressed individuals are less capable of down-regulating negative emotions. This paper systematically reviews studies of the role of emotion regulation in burnout in doctors. ⋯ Emotion regulation is an important psychological variable associated with burnout.
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Occupational medicine · Nov 2018
Perceived barriers and facilitators in the assessment of occupational diseases.
Information is collected worldwide on the diagnosis and assessment of occupational diseases (ODs) by occupational physicians (OPs). However, information on perceived facilitators and barriers to assessment is scarce. ⋯ Perceived facilitators in the assessment of ODs were practical assessment tools, multifaceted education, ability to assess work exposures and professional independence. Perceived barriers were lack of usefulness, lack of urgency, complexity of assessment and concerns about liability issues.
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Occupational medicine · May 2018
Age, burnout and physical and psychological work ability among nurses.
The ageing of the US labour force highlights the need to examine older adults' physical and psychological ability to work, under varying levels of occupational burnout. ⋯ Findings indicated physical and psychological dimensions of work ability that differed by age and occupational burnout. This emphasizes the need for interventions to reduce burnout and to address age-related strengths and vulnerabilities relating to physical and psychological work ability.