Giornale italiano di medicina del lavoro ed ergonomia
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G Ital Med Lav Ergon · Jan 2001
Comparative Study[Incremental stress test: comparison between protocols and cardiorespiratory reference values in healthy workers].
The aim of this study was double: to compare two different incremental stress protocols and to obtain reference values for a standardised exercise test in healthy workers. Firstly, eighty healthy male workers, 40 coal miners and 40 hospital workers, aged 19-54, performed in 2 different days 2 cycle ergometer tests up to exhaustion, increasing the work load respectively by 30 watts every 3 minutes (protocol A) and by 30 watts each minute (protocol B). Ventilatory and gas exchange measurements were done by a breath-by-breath apparatus equipped with a turbine and fast gas analysers for O2 and CO2. ⋯ Thus, these results suggest a very good comparability between the two protocols, concerning both the levels of maximal and sub-maximal aerobic capacity (V'O2 max, V'O2 VAT) and the cardio-respiratory pattern related to the oxygen uptake. Reference values for the 30 watts/3 minutes cycle ergometer stress test were achieved in other 320 healthy Sardinian workers concerning both the maximal (V'O2 max) and sub-maximal (V'O2 VAT) aerobic capacity and the range of normality for the cardio-respiratory pattern during the test, particularly for completely aerobic work loads, namely work loads not above the V'O2 VAT. These prediction equations can be useful for the evaluation of working capacity of workers employed in manual jobs characterised by moderate-to-high dynamic energy expenditure.
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Latex allergy is progressively increasing due to the widespread use of individual protective disposals, especially latex gloves among health care workers. A multidisciplinary Working Group of the Association of Health Care Workers' Preventive Medicine published, in 1995, the Guidelines for the prevention of allergic reactions both in workers and patients. ⋯ A short questionnaire was prepared to identify latex sensitisation in patients undergoing invasive procedures; tests are performed only in selected subjects. Preventive measures require the use of nonlatex gloves and the identification and substitution of all latex products in health care settings; such measures are necessary when emergency procedures are performed.