Pattern of jaundice in a general hospital evaluation of clinical and diagnostic parameters

A series of 390 patients with clinical jaundice were studied to categorise the aetiology of jaundice and evaluate the various diagnostic parameters. The cause was hepatocellular disease in 209 [53.6%] obstructive in 106 [27.2%], haemolytic in 41 [10.5%] and miscellaneous, in 34 [8.7%] patients. Initial clinical assessment has identified the aetiology in 78.2% of patients whereas biochemical liver function tests were not significantly discriminant among the various groups. In cholestatic jaundice, ultrasound was diagnostic in 92% and PTC in 93.8% of patients, whereas liver biopsy was diagnostic in all patients examined. It is recommended that to establish the cause of jaundice, the initial assessment is by full clinical evaluation and a screening biochemical and haematological profile. In cholestatic jaundice US may be needed and when still necessary more invasive techniques as liver biopsy and PTC can be performed

Radiological changes in asbestos-exposed Iraqi workers

The ILO International Classification of Radio-graphs of pneumoconiosis was used for the first time in Iraq to screen the workers of the asbestos factory in Baghdad. A total of 451 workers were chest x-rayed and the result showed that quite a large number [33%] have shown pleural thickening and 21% Were found to have bilateral irregular small opacities in the lung parenchyma.The presence of rounded small opacities was found in only 7% of workers. The presence of pleural thickening and rounded small opacities was significantly associated with increasing dust index [P <0.005 and P <0.001 respectively]. On the other hand irregular small opacities were prevalent even in the low dust index groups. About 52% d workers with pleural thickening had, in addition, irregular and/or rounded small opacities in the chest x-ray. Workers suffering from rounded small opacities, irregular small opacities, and pleura thickening were found to have higher risks to development such changes as the duration their occupational exposure increases[odd ratios with their 95% confidence intervals were 2.95 [2.19-3.96], 2.96[2.64-3.3],and 6 [5.64-6.75] respectively]

Effects of exposure to heat on male reproductive functions in glass factory employees

In a pilot study, 149 heat-exposed male glass factory employees and 258 randomly selected individuals from the same geographical area [not exposed] were interviewed as to the presence of primary infertility or children with congenital abnormalities. The prevalence per cent of primary infertility in the exposed group was 2 compared to 5.4 in the un-exposed. On the other hand, the prevalence of individuals who have children with congenital abnormalities in the exposed group was 6% compared to 4.3% in the un-exposed group. The commonest type of congenital abnormalities in the affected children of the exposed group was cardiac septal defect [44.4%], while no one of the comparison group had it. Abnormalities in the children of the exposed group had a male to female ratio of 2:1 while in the un-exposed group the ratio was 0.5:1. We can conclude as far as our results indicated that no hazard has been detected in terms of infertility but a slight increase in the risk of developing congenital abnormalities in the heat-exposed group should attract attention