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Wijnands APG, de Vries I, Carlier MP, de Lange DW, Rietjens SJ. Causal factors of work-related chemical eye injuries reported to the Dutch Poisons Information Center. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE 2023; 20:315-321. [PMID: 37146274 DOI: 10.1080/15459624.2023.2210183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the circumstances of chemical occupational eye exposures reported to the Dutch Poisons Information Center. During a 1-year prospective study, data were collected through a telephone survey of 132 victims of acute occupational eye exposure. Victims were often exposed to industrial products (35%) or cleaning products (27%). Most patients developed no or mild symptoms. Organizational factors (such as lack of work instructions (52%)), and personal factors (such as time pressure and fatigue (50%), and not adequately using personal protective equipment (PPE, 14%), were the main causes of occupational eye exposures. Exposure often occurred during cleaning activities (34%) and personal factors were reported more often during cleaning (67%) than during other work activities (41%). Data from Poison Control Centers are a valuable source of information, enabling the identification of risk factors for chemical occupational eye exposure. This study shows that personal factors like time pressure and fatigue play a significant role, although personal factors may be related to organizational issues such as poor communication. Therefore, risk mitigation strategies should focus on technical, organizational, and personal factors. The need to follow work instructions and proper use of PPE should also have a prominent place in the education and training of workers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja P G Wijnands
- Dutch Poisons Information Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Irma de Vries
- Dutch Poisons Information Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Maxim P Carlier
- Dutch Poisons Information Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Dylan W de Lange
- Dutch Poisons Information Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Department of Intensive Care Medicine, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Saskia J Rietjens
- Dutch Poisons Information Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Heimonen A, Nousiainen K, Lassila H, Kaukiainen A. Work-related head injury and industry sectors in Finland: causes and circumstances. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2023; 96:577-586. [PMID: 36593301 PMCID: PMC10079731 DOI: 10.1007/s00420-022-01950-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Despite the continuous development of occupational safety, the prevalence of work-related head injuries is excessive. To promote prevention, we conducted a study evaluating the risks and pathways that precede head injuries in different economic activity sectors. METHODS In Finland, more than 90% of employees are covered by inclusive statutory workers' compensation. We obtained data on occupational head injuries in 2010-2017 from an insurance company database. The European Statistics on Accidents at Work (ESAW) variables represented the characteristics of the accidents and the injury. We analysed the risk factors, contributing events and injury mechanisms in 20 industry sectors, based on the Statistical Classification of Economic Activities in the European Community (NACE). RESULTS In the 32,898 cases, the most commonly affected area was the eyes (49.6%). The highest incidence of head injuries was in construction (15.7 per 1000 insurance years). Construction, manufacturing, and human health and social work activities stood out due to their distinctive ESAW category counts. 'Working with hand-held tools' [risk ratio (RR) 2.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.14-2.32] in construction and 'operating machines' (RR 3.32, 95% CI 3.01-3.66) and 'working with hand-held tools' (1.99, 1.91-2.07) in manufacturing predicted head injury. The risk related to parameters of violence and threats in health and social work activities was nearly ninefold the risk of other sectors. CONCLUSION The risks and pathways preceding head injuries varied considerably. The highest head injury rates were in construction and manufacturing. Violence emerged as a major risk factor in human health and social work activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aura Heimonen
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 41, 00014, Helsinki, Finland. .,LocalTapiola General, LähiTapiola, 02010, Espoo, Finland.
| | | | - Heikki Lassila
- LocalTapiola General, LähiTapiola, 02010, Espoo, Finland
| | - Ari Kaukiainen
- LocalTapiola General, LähiTapiola, 02010, Espoo, Finland.,Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, PO BOX 20, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
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A Novel Suturing Technique for Choroidal Avulsion. J Clin Med 2022; 11:jcm11185344. [PMID: 36142991 PMCID: PMC9504976 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11185344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Ocular trauma has been one of the leading causes of visual impairment, and choroidal avulsion is especially devastating. Surgical treatment of choroidal avulsion is challenging, and very few surgical techniques have been reported. We experienced two cases of globe rupture with 360-degree avulsion of the choroid-ciliary body from the peripheral section. After vitrectomy for a globe rupture, the choroid gradually slid down to the posterior pole over time and vision deteriorated even though the retina was attached. We treated the choroidal avulsion using two surgical methods: a mattress suturing technique using a 10-0 proline long needle and a 7-0 nylon single suture technique. In both methods, the retina-choroid, which had slipped down to the posterior pole, was suspended and fixed to the sclera assisted by a wide-angle viewing system, improving visual acuity. These two methods are considered to be useful surgical procedures for the treatment of an avulsed choroid.
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Chen H, Yang J, Wang C, Feng X, Feng K, Ma Z. Novel Suturing Methods for the Management of Traumatic Choroidal Avulsion in Globe Injuries. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 8:801068. [PMID: 35111782 PMCID: PMC8801457 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.801068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
PurposeTo explore the long-term efficacy of novel choroidal suturing methods including trans-scleral mattress suturing (TSS) and intraocular suturing (IOS) in the treatment of choroidal avulsion.DesignProspective cohort, hospital-based study.MethodsA total of 24 patients who were diagnosed with choroidal avulsion were enrolled in this study. The demographic characteristics, baseline information of trauma, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and intraocular pressure (IOP) were collected before surgery, and the anatomic abnormities of the globe were recorded before or during surgery. All patients were diagnosed with choroidal avulsion and underwent choroid suturing treatment during vitrectomy, postoperative functional variables including BCVA and IOP, anatomic variables including retinal and choroidal reattachment rate, and silicone oil migration rate, which were recorded at the regular follow-ups at least 1 year after surgery.ResultsAll patients with open globe injury involved zone III, 70.8% of the patients presented with two quadrants of the avulsed choroid, and 29.2% with one quadrant involved; moreover, all patients had complications with retinal detachment (RD), of which 58.3% of patients had closed funnel retinal detachment. TSS was applied in nineteen patients and IOS in five patients. Postoperatively, a significant improvement on LogMAR BCVA was observed at each follow-up from 3.57 ± 0.69 before surgery to 2.82 ± 0.98 at the last follow-up (p < 0.05), and the proportion of no light perception (NLP) was also reduced from 69.6 to 37.5%. IOP was markedly elevated from 6.4 ± 4.1 mmHg preoperatively to 11.3 ± 4.3 mmHg at the last follow-up (p < 0.05). Choroidal reattachment was achieved in 91.7% of patients; two patients were observed with silicone oil migration at 3 months after surgery and underwent drainage of suprachoroidal silicone oil and sclera buckling. Meanwhile, retinal attachment was observed in 95.8% of patients, only one patient developed partial RD due to postoperative proliferative vitreoretinopathy, and secondary vitrectomy was performed; all patients were observed with complete retinal and choroidal attachment at the last follow-up. Eventually, four patients were silicone oil-free, and 20 patients were silicone oil-dependent.ConclusionsChoroidal suturing proved to be an effective method to fix the avulsed choroid, which greatly improved the BCVA and maintained the IOP, and efficiently increased the choroidal and retinal reattachment rate and preservation of the eyeball.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijin Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarui Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Beijing, China
| | - Changguan Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Beijing, China
| | - Xuefeng Feng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Beijing, China
| | - Kang Feng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Beijing, China
| | - Zhizhong Ma
- Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Zhizhong Ma
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Kousiouris P, Klavdianou O, Douglas KAA, Gouliopoulos N, Chatzistefanou K, Kantzanou M, Dimtsas GS, Moschos MM. Role of Socioeconomic Status (SES) in Globe Injuries: A Review. Clin Ophthalmol 2022; 16:25-31. [PMID: 35027817 PMCID: PMC8749045 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s317017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Globe injury is a serious worldwide public health issue frequently leading to permanent vision impairment. The plethora of different types of globe injuries is classified into categories, including open and closed globe injuries. Globe injury occurs mainly in the workplace and at home, affecting predominantly middle-aged working men. Socioeconomic status (SES) is defined by income level, educational attainment, and employment status. Low socioeconomic status has been associated with a higher incidence of globe injury and can be utilized to identify at-risk populations. For managing open and closed globe injuries, different strategies are applied and the implementation of adequate globe injury prevention measures is needed for reducing the occurrence of globe injury. The following article aims to provide an overview of globe injury characteristics and their correlation with socioeconomic status and to highlight the significance of considering SES as a variable in globe injury prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Kousiouris
- 1st Department of Ophthalmology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Olga Klavdianou
- 1st Department of Ophthalmology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantinos A A Douglas
- 1st Department of Ophthalmology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Gouliopoulos
- 2nd Department of Ophthalmology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "Attikon" General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Klio Chatzistefanou
- 1st Department of Ophthalmology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Kantzanou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios S Dimtsas
- 1st Department of Ophthalmology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Marilita M Moschos
- 1st Department of Ophthalmology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, "G. Gennimatas" General Hospital, Athens, Greece
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Description of Main Predictors for Taking Sick Leave Associated with Work-Related Eye Injuries in Spain. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18105157. [PMID: 34067993 PMCID: PMC8152250 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18105157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies in Spain have shown that males, younger workers, and people involved in manual jobs had the highest risk of suffering a work-related eye injury (WREI). This study aims to assess the predictors of sick leave associated with WREI and to compare them with risk factors of initial injury. A retrospective and descriptive study of WREI that causes sick leave of one or more days among workers from an insurance labor mutual company in Spain was conducted over a period from 2008 to 2018. The variables of the study were sex, age, occupation, and type of injury. A total of 9352 (18.6% of 50,265 WREI) cases and 113,395 total days of sick leave were observed, with an estimated EUR 4,994,009.59 of associated labor cost. The main predictors of sick leave related to WREI were found to be female (highest incidence; 25.9 (95% CI (24.8–27.1))), >55 years of age (highest incidence; 20.5 (95% CI (19.3–21.7))), not working in the industry (lowest incidence; 13.8 (95% CI (13.3–14.2))), and not suffering “other disorders of conjunctiva” (lowest incidence; 5.7 (95% CI (4.7–6.8))). The consequences associated with WREI are worse for female and older workers, despite the main risk of suffering WREI being observed in males and younger workers.
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