Occupational and environmental medicine
-
In a follow-up study of previous research, in which exposure pathways for opioid narcotic analgesics were identified in pharmaceutical workers involved in drug synthesis, the current research focused on the selection of an appropriate biomonitoring strategy. ⋯ Fentanyl levels in pre-shift urine samples reflect dermal exposure to the compound during the previous day. Thus, in the specific working environment investigated, a biological monitoring protocol evaluating pre-shift urinary fentanyl levels could provide an adequate risk estimate in individual workers.
-
Musculoskeletal pain often occurs at multiple sites concurrently. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between multi-site pain and self-rated work ability and retirement plans among actively working people. ⋯ Co-occurring pain is a considerable threat to work ability. Workers with multi-site pain may benefit from targeted preventive measures to sustain their work ability. Future studies should also consider multi-site pain as an important risk factor for reduced work ability.