Documents Sestito, John P. 5 results

"Background

Patterns of prevalence and work-relatedness of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among workers offer clues about risk factors and targets for prevention.

Methods

Data from an occupational health supplement to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey were used to estimate the prevalence of self-reported clinician-diagnosed CTS overall and by demographic characteristics. The proportion of these cases self-reported to have been attributed to work by clinicians was also examined overall and by demographic characteristics. In addition, the distribution of industry and occupation (I&O) categories to which work-related cases of CTS were attributed was compared to the distribution of I&O categories of employment among current/recent workers.

Results

Data were available for 27,157 adults, including 17,524 current/recent workers. The overall lifetime prevalence of clinician-diagnosed CTS among current/recent workers was 6.7%. The 12-month prevalence was 3.1%, representing approximately 4.8 million workers with current CTS; 67.1% of these cases were attributed to work by clinicians, with overrepresentation of certain I&O categories.

Conclusions

CTS affected almost 5 million U.S. workers in 2010, with prevalence varying by demographic characteristics and I&O."

"BACKGROUND:

Prevalence patterns of dermatitis among workers offer clues about risk factors and targets for prevention, but population-based estimates of the burden of dermatitis among US workers are lacking.

METHODS:

Data from an occupational health supplement to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS-OHS) were used to estimate the prevalence of dermatitis overall and by demographic characteristics and industry and occupation (I&O) of current/recent employment.

RESULTS:

Data were available for 27,157 adults, including 17,524 current/recent workers. The overall prevalence rate of dermatitis among current/recent workers was 9.8% (range among I&O groups: 5.5-15.4%), representing approximately 15.2 million workers with dermatitis. The highest prevalence rates were among I&O groups related to health care. Overall, 5.6% of dermatitis cases among workers (9.2% among healthcare workers) were attributed to work by health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS:

Dermatitis affected over 15 million US workers in 2010, and its prevalence varied by demographic characteristics and industry and occupation of employment. The prevalence rate of work-related dermatitis based on the NHIS-OHS was approximately 100-fold higher than incidence rates based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Survey of Occupational Illness and Injury."

An analysis of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer mortality in occupations associated with high asbestos (1332214) exposures was performed. Data were taken from the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance (NOMS) system for the period 1979 to 1990 to identify all deaths from malignant mesothelioma that occurred among 473 occupational categories. Occupations associated with significantly increased proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs) for mesothelioma, were considered to be occupations having high asbestos exposure. All cases of GI cancer that occurred in white males in these occupations were identified. Twelve occupations were associated with significantly increased PMRs for malignant mesothelioma: insulation worker; construction painter supervisor; plumber; sheet metal worker; furnace, kiln, and oven operator; mechanical engineer; factory stationary engineer; electrical and electronic engineer; supervisors in production occupations; construction carpenter; construction electrician; and manager. There were 15,224 deaths from GI cancer identified in the 12 occupations. When all occupations were combined, the risks for esophageal, gastric, and colorectal cancer were significantly increased, PMRs 108, 110, and 109, respectively. By specific occupation, the esophageal cancer risk was elevated in sheet metal workers and mechanical engineers, PMRs 142 and 132, respectively. Gastric cancer risk was significantly elevated in production supervisors and managers, PMRs 124 and 111, respectively. The colorectal cancer risk was significantly increased in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineers, PMRs 133 and 130, respectively. The authors conclude that occupational associations do exist between elevated asbestos exposures and some types of GI cancer, although the magnitude of the effects is rather small.

"A Sentinel Health Event (SHE) is a preventable disease, disability, or untimely death whose occurrence serves as a warning signal that the quality of preventive and/or therapeutic medical care may need to be improved. A SHE (Occupational) is a disease, disability, or untimely death which is occupationally related and whose occurrence may: 1) provide the impetus for epidemiologic or industrial hygiene studies; or 2) serve as a warning signal that materials substitution, engineering control, personal protection, or medical care may be required. The present SHE(O) list encompasses 50 disease conditions that are linked to the workplace. Only those conditions are included for which objective documentation of an associated agent, industry, and occupation exists in the scientific literature. The list will serve as a framework for developing a national system for occupational health surveillance that may be applied at the state and local level, and as a guide for practicing physicians caring for patients with occupational illnesses. We expect to update the list periodically to accommodate new occupational disease events which meet the criteria for inclusion."