RESUMEN
Measurement of Ethylene Oxide Gas and Calculation of a Safe Period for Contact at the Medical Sterilization Unit in Siriraj Hospital The objectives in measuring the ethylene oxide (EtO) level at the Medical Sterilization Unit in Siriraj Hospital by using a simple Piston gas hand pump, are to examine the residual EtO level at the back of the sterilizer after the sterilizer opened (the end of the sterilization process) at different time periods and to calculate a safe period of time to wait before transferring equipment and supplies to the aerator. The EtO levels at 5,10,15 and 20 minutes after the sterilizer opened were1.5,1.2, 0.7 and 0.4 ppm, respectively. By using a semi-logarithm equation to calculate the slope of elimination between 2 points, the expected time for the concentration of EtO level to be equal to or less than 0.5 ppm would be 18.75 minutes for a room volume of 115.83 cubic meters. A concentration of residual EtO level at 0.5 ppm or lower was safe for workers in routine work environments and could be applied by other laboratories.
RESUMEN
There are an increasing number of patients with the HIV virus in Thailand. The opportunistic infections in these patients are tuberculosis, Cryptococcal meningitis and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. The hospitalization benefits of admission were critical in the process of assessing of the economy of Thai government's budget. The coverage reimbursements from the government are classified according the criteria of the Diagnostic related group or DRG. An attempt to compare the real benefits to Siriraj Hospital and the government reimbursements for treating HIV-related illness was made and will eventually lead to further eventually adjustable reimbursements.
RESUMEN
Analysis of 513 questioners (201 males, 312 females) aged from birth to more than 70 years found that 453 cases (88.30 percents) had at least one vaccination, 21 cases (4.10 percents) never had even one, 332 cases (64.22 percents) became sick from diseases which can be prevented by vaccine, 15 cases (3.07 percents) out of these were hospitalized, 105 cases never became sick. Most of the cases in the vaccinated group missed boosters except those in the antirabies vaccination group. Ideas about vaccine : 34.76 percents know nothing, 39.66 percent think that vaccines are worthwhile and can protect them from illness, 13.41 percent just follow the doctors advice, 5.49 percent were induced by others, 3.66 percent knew a little bit about it and 3.05 percent just followed school instruction.
RESUMEN
Castor bean is one of the agricultural cash crops of economic importance, the health hazards of castor bean dust that recently made headlines in the mass media alerted many governmental agencies concerned to take action. The castor oil mill started operation in 1979, at Phra Pradaeng, Samut Prokan 50 km east of Bangkok. A few months after the operation, people who lived within 2 kilometres of the mill began to develop respiratory ailments: cough, sneezing, headache, nasal blockage, wheezing, violent attacks of asthma. An epidemiological survey carried out showed that castor bean dust was the major health hazards in the villages within 2 kilometres of the castor oil mill in Phra Pradaeng. The patients suffering from asthma due to castor bean had no further attacks after closure of the factory. The study indicated that to minimize the health hazard problem, the castor bean oil mill should improve its method of collecting the castor bean pomace.