Bird fancier's disease due to exposure to birds via a desert cooler

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis [HP] is an immunologically mediated pulmonary disease caused by various organic particles and some non organic chemicals. HP is mostly associated with some occupations such as farming and bird breeding. We report a case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis in a housewife without any prior history of occupational exposures. The disease was developed due to indirect exposure of the patient to doves antigens via a desert cooler ducts

Sleep quality of professional firefighters

Firefighting is a unique job with contradictious demands that expose firefighters to many well documented causal factors of sleep debt, but no studies in Iran and only a few worldwide studies have investigated their sleep quality while sleep problems may lead to catastrophes especially in critical service workers. The aim of this study is to evaluate sleep quality and its related factors among a sample of professional Iranian firefighters. Using simple random sampling method in a cross-sectional study, 427 personnel of fire and rescue service were invited. They completed the Persian version of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI] and a data collection sheet about their demographic and occupational features during an individual face to face interview in central office and firehouses throughout Tehran. Response rate was 88.7%. The mean +/- SD global PSQI score was 7.97 +/- 3.77. Sleep latency was the component of PSQI with the greatest degree of abnormality. 69.9% of participants were poor sleepers. Interestingly, we found no significant differences between sleep quality of shift workers and non shift workers. Using multiple logistic regression analysis, only having another job, smoking and years of job experience were predictors of poor sleep. In comparison with adult population of Tehran, sleep quality deterioration is notably more common in Tehran firefighters which require health promotion interventions to prevent its serious adverse outcomes

Epigastric and umbilical hernia; work relatedness and return to work

Abdominal wall hernia is common but reliable scientific data about its work relatedness is very limited and inconsistent. In this paper, a less common type of abdominal wall hernia in a 30 year old male worker is presented with recurrence after first surgery when he returned to work. In contrast with almost all kinds of hernia, a lifelong limitation for heavy lifting was recommended. It seems that contrary to popular belief, work relatedness of abdominal wall hernia is seriously doubtful, although conclusive evidences are not enough. It is preferable to make decisions cautiously for return to heavy duties of work after surgery of large umbilical, umbilical and epigastric or incisional hernia, while avoiding recommendations for long days off work after surgery of any hernia