Occupational dermatoses by type of work in Greece

Occupational Contact Dermatitis in Employees of Large-Scale Narcotic Crop Farms of Ethiopia: Prevalence and Risk Factors. A Self-Reported Study Using the Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire

BACKGROUND

Occupational skin diseases are the second leading occupational disease, accounting for almost 25% of all missed workdays. Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) accounts for 70% to 90% of all skin disorders in the workplace. Only a few occupational epidemiology studies have looked into the prevalence and risk factors of occupation-induced dermatitis among narcotic crop farm workers around the world. Related studies in Ethiopia are even fewer.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the Dirashe district of Southern Ethiopia from March 23 to April 12, 2021. Data was collected using a standardized interviewer-administered questionnaire. The history of contact dermatitis was determined using the standardized Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire version 2002 (NOSQ-2002). A total of 578 farm laborers took part in the study, which was conducted using a systematic random sampling. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression were used to characterize the data and identify factors associated with occupational contact dermatitis.

RESULT

The prevalence of self-reported occupational contact dermatitis in the past 12 months among workers of large-scale Khat farms was (AOR: 67.80%, 95% CI [61.00, 76.23]). In the multivariable regression, being older (AOR: 5.51, 95% CI [1.79, 7.24]), working as a bundle binder (AOR: 5.74, 95% CI [2.12, 15.55]), not wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) (AOR: 2.50, 95% CI [1.64, 3.81]), and having poor knowledge of pesticides use, storage, and disposal methods (AOR: 2.50, 95% CI [1.64, 3.81]) were associated with occupational contact dermatitis.

CONCLUSION

Contact dermatitis caused by work is very common among Khat farm laborers. Measures to promote safe practices and reduce exposure to hazards, such as removing expired and/or banned chemicals, purchasing alternative pesticides that meet legislative requirements, job rotation and routine training of staff on safe practices, increasing safety signage, and performing risk assessments, as well as improving the quantity and quality of institutional protective equipment supplies may thus contribute to the enhancement of safe work practices.

Urinary toluene levels and adverse health symptoms among automotive garage workers, Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand

To determine their urinary toluene levels, to describe the workers’ hygiene behaviors and the prevalence of adverse health symptoms among automotive garage workers exposed to chemical substances. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted by interviewing among automotive garages located in the Nakhon Si Thammarat province, Thailand. During between 1 November 2020 and 31 December 2020. A total of 140 automotive garages workers were selected using a purposive sampling method. The questionnaire was conducted via face-to-face interview and the toluene was quantified using gas chromatography. Descriptive statistics were computed for the variables. Risk factors were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analysis. Adjusted odds ratio (ORadj) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were presented as statistically significant when the p value was < 0.05. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the medians of continuous variables of the two groups. The prevalence of skin effects (60.71%); respiratory tract irritation (49.29%); nausea (46.43%); and dizziness (40.71%) was remarkable in the automotive garage workers. Several socio-demographic variables were significantly associated with increased skin effects, respiratory tract irritant, nausea, and dizziness. The median urinary toluene level of the automotive garage workers was 145 μg/L (range, 12.0–958.0 μg/L) which the median urinary levels and demographic characteristics, occupational lifestyle, personal protective equipment used, hygiene behavior, and adverse health symptoms had significantly significant different (p< 0.05).Urine is one of the most useful a sample for biomonitoring of occupational exposure to toluene. Personal hygiene is important for the automotive garage workers, and it should be emphasized in education programs.

Chemical mismanagement and skin burns among hospitalized and outpatient department patients

Purpose. This article attempts to elucidate the nature of chemicals causing major and minor skin burns, and their associated characterization across different industries, using Fujian provincial hospitals' admission and outpatient department records. Materials and methods. Data were collected from the provincial hospitals of Fujian through a questionnaire, sent via email, from June 1, 2017 to November 30, 2017. The collected responses were statistically analyzed using SPSS version 19 through the interquartile range, median, Mann-Whitney U test and Fisher's exact test with two-tailed significance. Results and conclusions. The results of 306 collected responses reveal that the majority of skin burn cases are due to a lack of technical education and professional training among workers handling chemicals. This study suggests that management's effective supervision and governmental regulations may help to prevent chemical skin burns at work, and can further be controlled by hiring professional workers alongside providing training to them in chemical handling as well as using protective equipment and developing appropriate management policies to improve victims' well-being and quality of life. Findings will help workers, doctors, hospitals, industries, government and other stakeholders to understand and control chemical hazards on site to minimize the risks of chemical skin burn incidents.

Self-report occupational-related contact dermatitis: prevalence and risk factors among healthcare workers in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018-a cross-sectional study

Background

Occupational skin diseases are the second most common occupational diseases and are responsible for an estimated 25% of all lost work days. Occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) comprises 70–90% of all occupational skin diseases. In Ethiopia, information about the prevalence and factors which determine developments of contact dermatitis is not recognized. The objective of this study was to investigate prevalence and factors influencing the occurrences of occupational-related contact dermatitis among healthcare workers in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

We employed a healthcare-based cross-sectional study from March to April 2018. A stratified sampling method followed by simple random sampling method was used to select 422 participants. The standardized Nordic Occupational Skin Questionnaire was pretested and interviewer-administered for data collection. We used SPSS version 20 to conduct a binary logistic regression analysis. We set ≤ 0.05 p value to ascertain significance and 95% CI with odds ratios to evaluate the strength of associations.

Results

Response rate was 100%. The majority, 52.4% (N = 221), were males. The mean age was 22.6 (SD ± 6.3) years. The overall prevalence of self-report occupational contact dermatitis in the previous 12 months was 31.5% (N = 133) [95% CI (27, 36.2)]. The highest symptoms indicated was redness, 28.5% (n = 38), followed by burning, 17.3% (n = 23). The hand is the most commonly affected body sites, 22% (N = 93). Hand washing frequency [AOR 1.80, 95% CI (1.10, 3.20)], pairs of hand gloves used per day [AOR 3.22, 95% CI (2.05, 5.87)], personal history of allergy [AOR 2.37, 95% CI (1.32, 4.61)], and lack of health and safety training [AOR 2.12, 95% CI (1.12, 2.25)] were factors considerably associated with contact dermatitis.

Conclusions

The prevalence of occupational-induced contact dermatitis is common among healthcare workers in Ethiopia. Therefore, our finding indicates that intervention aiming at workers’ health and safety training demands urgent public health responses to tackle the ailment. The result also demonstrates that healthcare workers should be aware of when and how hands should be washed. The number of pairs of gloves used per day should also be taken into consideration while devising prevention strategies.

Epidemiology of urticaria in Poland - nationally representative survey results

Introduction

The prevalence of urticaria is 15–20%. Women are twice as likely to be affected.

Aim

To present the epidemiology of urticaria and angioedema in Poland.

Material and methods

A questionnaire-based survey was conducted on a representative group of 4,897 individuals, aged 15–74 years.

Results

A total of 11.2% of respondents reported at least one episode of urticaria symptoms in their life, and the frequency was higher in females (OR = 1.46; p < 0.001). Single episodes accounted for 34.8%, while repeated episodes accounted for 65.2%. Acute urticaria was observed in 10.6% (more frequent in females; OR = 1.41; p < 0.001), chronic in 0.6%. Median age of the first episode was 15 years. Angioedema was observed in 3.2%. The last episode of urticaria symptoms and/or angioedema occurred within the previous week in 0.7% of subjects, the last month in 1%, and the last year in 2.2%. 8.8% had experienced urticaria symptoms or angioedema over 1 year prior to the survey. The impact of urticaria symptoms on patients’ daily activities was rated with 3.8 points on a scale of 0–10. In addition, chronic urticaria was rated 6.5, and acute urticaria 3.6. Angioedema and urticaria had a negative impact of 5.7 points.

Conclusions

Urticaria and angioedema are serious health problems in Poland, although their prevalence is below the mean rate for the global population. Females are more likely to suffer from these diseases. People affected by urticaria most frequently report contact with plants and substances, insect bites/stings, and food as the provoking factors.

Epidemiological analysis of occupational dermatitis notified in Brazil in the period 2007 to 2012

BACKGROUND

Occupational dermatitis affects the quality of life and productivity of workers. Studies on the subject are scarce in Brazil. It is estimated that the disease is underreported and that many affected patients do not seek health care.

OBJECTIVES

To conduct an epidemiological analysis of occupational dermatitis notified via SINAN in Brazil from January 2007 to December 2012; evaluate the profile of patients assisted; and check the main etiological agents involved.

METHODS

We analyzed the compulsory notification forms of cases of occupational dermatitis filled nationwide during January 2007 to December 2012.

RESULTS

During the study period 3027 cases of occupational dermatitis were notified in Brazil. In 61.4% of cases patients were men aged between 35-49 years (39.6%). The most described etiological agent was chromium (13.9%). The location of the body most affected was the hands, with 28.4% of cases. The construction sector is implicated in 28.7% of cases and domestic services by 18%. Allergic contact dermatitis is the most prevalent occupational dermatitis (20.6%) and the region with the highest number of notifications was the Midwest, with 376.4 cases per million inhabitants.

CONCLUSIONS

The profile of patients most affected by occupational dermatitis in Brazil during the study period was: men with elementary school, aged between 20 and 49 years old and working in the construction industry. The most common occupational dermatitis were allergic contact dermatitis caused by chromium after years of exposure, being the hands and head the parts of the body most affected.

Arbeitsbedingte Synkanzerogenese an der Haut - Zur kombinatorischen Einwirkung zweier Karzinogene der Berufskrankheiten-Liste

HINTERGRUND

Die Synkanzerogenese am Hautorgan, wissenschaftlich unstrittig, spiegelt sich im monokausal geleiteten Berufskrankheiten (BK)-Recht nicht wider. Nichtmelanozytäre Hauttumoren und deren Vorläuferläsionen können nur nach Einzelprüfung der BK-Nrn. 5103 und 5102 anerkannt werden.

METHODIK

Retrospektive Auswertung von 28 zwischen September 2012 und September 2015 begutachteten Fällen (Altersmedian 72,5 J.) mit nichtmelanozytären Hauttumoren und deren Vorläuferläsionen und arbeitsbedingter Exposition gegenüber natürlicher UV-Strahlung und polyzyklischen aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen.

ERGEBNISSE

In allen 28 Fällen sahen wir die arbeitstechnischen Voraussetzungen nach den BK-Nrn. 5103 und 5102 als erfüllt an. In 26 Fällen (93 %) empfahlen wir die Hautkrebserkrankung als BK-Tatbestand nach den Nrn. 5103 und 5102 anzuerkennen. Dem folgte der Unfallversicherungsträger in vier Fällen. Achtmal wurde die Anerkennung nur nach BK-Nr. 5103, zehnmal nur nach BK-Nr. 5102 und viermal gar nicht ausgesprochen.

SCHLUSSFOLGERUNGEN

Bei nichtmelanozytären Hauttumoren oder deren Vorläuferläsionen an UV-exponierten Hautarealen mit ausreichend kumulativer arbeitsbedingter natürlicher UV-Strahlenexposition und bei arbeitsbedingter Exposition gegenüber polyzyklischen aromatischen Kohlenwasserstoffen sollten mittels BK-Anzeige die "BK-Nrn. 5103 und 5102 im Sinne der Synkanzerogenese" gemeldet werden. Neben der gerechteren Wiedergabe der Arbeitsplatzrealitäten in einem solchen Feststellungsverfahren kann es dann im Konkreten auch zur Anerkennung von Basalzellkarzinomen kommen, die ansonsten, bei alleiniger Prüfung der BK-Nr. 5103, herausgerechnet würden.