Study of health status among rice millers

The present study was conducted aiming to evaluate the health status of rice millers with special emphasis on the respiratory conditions. This study included 30 exposed workers in rice mill located in Alexandria and 28 control subjects. Each worker and control subject was interviewed for his personal, occupational, social, and medical histories and history of smoking habit as well as history of allergy. This was followed by physical examination and measurement of height, weight, blood pressure, as well as pulmonary function measurements included FEV1 and FVC. Air was sampled to determine the respirable dust levels in all various sections of the rice mill. The study revealed an increase in the prevalence of significant difference of respiratory conditions such as chronic cough, chronic bronchitis, dyspnea and wheezing as well as eye irritation, nasal catarrh, palpitation and dyspepsia; and reduction in pulmonary function measurements of significant difference included FEV1 and percentages predicted of FEV1% and FVC%. These findings might be attributed to the exposure to rice husk dust. Environmental evaluation revealed that the mean dust exposure levels ranged from 1-2 mg/m 3. It has been concluded that exposure to rice dust seems to be of paramount factor in the increase of health complaints specially respiratory conditions

Reference hemogram among workers of different nationalities in Kuwait

2166 hemograms of selective sample of apparently healthy workers of different nationalities in Shaiba industrial area in Kuwait were investigated during the years 1988 and 1989. The aims were study of normal and pathological picture with reporting reference hemogram among the workers of different nationalities; and to high-light onto the importance of complete blood picture [automatic blood cells count and blood cells slide study under microscope] as a tool for early detection of blood cells hazards in industry. Mean hemoglobin concentration is significantly lower among Kuwaiti; Pakistani; Taylandi; and Jordanian nationalities. Leucocytes means were significantly lower among Egyptian and Kuwaiti workers. High percent of leucopenia was diagnosed among Egyptian and Kuwaiti workers [3.6 and 4.08%, respectively]. Anemia was reported among 820 workers investigated during 1988 in a percent of 0.73%. Monocytopenia was diagnosed among all nationalities and that was interpreted by the physical stress factor [high temperature], that workers were exposed to in Kuwait. Microscopic examination of blood is important relative to the automatic one in Occupational Medicine