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Laboratory Workers (laboratory + worker)
Selected AbstractsA cohort mortality study of chemical laboratory workers at Department of Energy Nuclear Plants,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 9 2008Travis Kubale PhD Abstract Objective This study evaluates the mortality experience of 6,157 chemical laboratory workers employed at United States Department of Energy facilities. Methods All cause, all cancer and cause-specific standardized mortality ratios were calculated. Cox regression analyses were conducted to further evaluate the relation between chemical exposure and mortality risk due to selected cancers. Results The mortality due to all causes combined and all cancers combined were below expectation for the cohort. There were no statistically significant elevations reported among males for any specific cancer or non-cancer outcome. There no statistically significant elevations among females for any specific non-cancer and most specific cancers; however, multiple myeloma deaths were significantly elevated (SMR,=,3.56; 95% CI,=,1.43,7.33; number of observed deaths, n,=,7). Statistically significant elevations were seen among workers employed 20+ years for leukemia using both 2- and 5-year lag periods. Also, a statistically significant positive trend of elevated lung cancer mortality with increasing employment duration was seen using both 5- and 10-year lags. A similar trend was seen for smoking related cancers among men. Conclusion While lymphatic and hematopoietic cancer mortality was below expectation, a significant elevation of multiple myeloma deaths among females and an elevation of leukemia among workers employed 20+ years (possibly due to radiation and benzene exposure) were observed. A NIOSH case,control study is underway to examine more closely the relation between multiple myeloma and a variety of chemical exposures among workers employed at the Oak Ridge K-25 facility. Am. J. Ind. Med. 51:656,667, 2008. Published 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Detection of bacterial strains producing sulbactam- or tazobactam-sensitive ,-lactamases by the use of disks containing the inhibitors alone instead of combining them with antibiotics,APMIS, Issue 1 2006S. BANIC The author demonstrated that disks containing ,-lactamase inhibitors sulbactam or tazobactam combined with ampicillin (SAM) and piperacillin (TZP) are not suitable for performing the double-disk synergy test (DDST) with the aim of determining the sensitivity of ,-lactamases to these inhibitors. The presence of antibiotics (especially of piperacillin) is so disturbing that the results of testing are not specific. In contrast, the use of disks containing sulbactam or tazobactam alone yields very specific results. The author suggested to the firms producing sensi-disks that they make these commercially available to laboratory workers. [source] Chromosomal aberrations in lymphocytes of employees in transformer and generator production exposed to electromagnetic fields and mineral oilBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 3 2001Knut Skyberg Abstract The objective was to study the risk of cytogenetic damage among high voltage laboratory workers exposed to electromagnetic fields and mineral oil. This is a cross sectional study of 24 exposed and 24 matched controls in a Norwegian transformer factory. The exposure group included employees in the high voltage laboratory and in the generator soldering department. Electric and magnetic fields and oil mist and vapor were measured. Blood samples were analyzed for chromosomal aberrations in cultured lymphocytes. In addition to conventional cultures, the lymphocytes were also treated with hydroxyurea and caffeine. This procedure inhibits DNA synthesis and repair in vitro, revealing in vivo genotoxic lesions that are repaired during conventional culturing. In conventional cultures, the exposure group and the controls showed similar values for all cytogenetic parameters. In the DNA synthesis- and repair-inhibited cultures, generator welders showed no differences compared to controls. Among high voltage laboratory testers, compared to the controls, the median number of chromatid breaks was doubled (5 vs. 2.5 per 50 cells; P<0.05) the median number of chromosome breaks was 2 vs. 0.5 (P>0.05) and the median number of aberrant cells was 5 vs. 3.5 (P<0.05). Further analysis of the inhibited culture data from this and a previous study indicated that years of exposure and smoking increase the risk of aberrations. We conclude that there was no increase in cytogenetic damage among exposed workers compared to controls in the conventional lymphocyte assay. In inhibited cultures, however, there were indications that electromagnetic fields in combination with mineral oil exposure may produce chromosomal aberrations. Bioelectromagnetics 22:150,160, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Facing highly infectious diseases: new trends and current conceptsCLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 8 2009P. Brouqui Abstract A highly infectious disease (HID) that is transmissible from person to person causes life-threatening illness and presents a serious hazard in the healthcare setting and in the community that requires specific control measures. Due to environmental factors, changes in lifestyle and many other unknown factors, the emergence of such HIDs is becoming more and more likely. As has already been demonstrated during the SARS outbreak, healthcare facilities are likely to be the origin of future HID outbreaks. Preparedness planning will be essential in helping facilities manage future outbreaks of emerging or resurgent infectious diseases. Guidelines have been developed by national and international institutions. To avoid contamination of healthcare workers, the care of HID patients should follow the same infection control rules that are applied to laboratory workers exposed to similar agents. Here, the current knowledge concerning the clinical care of patients with HIDs is reviewed, and specific aspects of the management of such diseases are introduced. [source] | ||||||||||