[Radon concentrations in Apulian banking workplaces]. / Valutazione della concentrazione media annua di radon negli ambienti di lavoro del settore bancario in Puglia.

According to the obligations provided by the Legislative Decree 241/2000, this study was performed to evaluate the annual average concentration of radon in banking premises existing in Apulia. Passive detectors were placed in areas distant from sources of heat and/or air. The following information was gathered about the workplaces: their position regarding soil, external apertures (doors and windows), ventilation and air-conditioning systems, wall and floor characteristics. In 74 bank branches 324 measurements were carried out. The values ranged from a minimum of 2 Bq/m3 to a maximum of 848 Bq/m3; the mean concentration was 94,11 Bq/m3 (DS +/- 119,73). In 5 measurements the values exceeded the maximum limit of 500 Bq/m3; besides, 6 values was ranged from 400 to 500 Bq/m3. These data seem to be influenced by the geological features of the Apulian sub-surface with karst phenomena.

[Poliomyelitis vaccine contaminated with SV40 and prior exposure to asbestos: cognitive study in a group of car repair workers]. / Vaccinazione antipolio contaminata da SV40 e pregressa esposizione ad amianto: studio conoscitivo in un gruppo di autoriparatori.

Pleural and pulmonary malignancies are usually associated with previous asbestos exposure and the presence of simian virus 40 (SV40) has been detected in these neoplasms. Our study aimed to investigate the health situation among mechanics servicing buses, ex-exposed to asbestos, who received polio vaccines contaminated by SV 40. We conducted a descriptive study and so we recruited, on the basis of birth date and duration in the current job, 39 mechanics, born since 1950 until 1965, with length of service above 15 years. Of all subjects a clinical examination, a lung function test and a chest radiograph were obtained. More than 30% of sample showed pharynx and larynx clinical alterations and radiological signs of previous exposure to asbestos. We didn't find pleural or pulmonary malignancies; besides 4 doubtful neoplasms required further investigations. Although exiguity of sample, these findings provide a lack of mesothelioma and lung cancer among mechanics, previously exposed to asbestos and infected by SV40.

[Symptoms and musculo-skeletal changes among personnel of the State Police exposed to mechanical risk]. / Sintomi ed alterazioni muscolo-scheletriche in personale della Polizia di Stato esposto a rischio biomeccanico.

The aim of this present study was to inquire about spine morfo-functional alterations among policemen with jobs regarded as potentially hazardous, in order to identify preclinical alterations of column and to plan adequate preventive measures. A physiopathologic and working anamnesis was carried out by means of questionnaire about personal data, jobs, reported rachidian symptomatology and presence of orthopedic diseases, given to policemen on duty in Bari. Every chosen worker was subject to orthopedic and neurological examination, radiography of column, Formetric tridimensional examination, telethermography of spine. We stratified the sample on the basis of age and job. Under the jobs we individuated 4 biomechanical hazardous activities, performed separately or together: driving motorcycle, driving car, flying helicopter, video terminal use. The whole sample, formed by 211 subjects, all male, had the average age of 39 years (Standard Deviation: +/- 4). About the reported rachidian symptomatology, only 41 (17, 98%) subjects were asymptomatical, contrary to clinical results, that were normal in almost the entire sample, with the exception of 3 workers (1, 31%), who had neurological clinical alterations. Structural alterations were checked by radiography among 64, 9% of subjects. The Formetric examination found alterations in different tract of rachis, also coexiting between each other. The telethermographic changes affected 63,99% of the sample and involved especially the lumbar tract (38,86%), dorsal region (18%) and cervical zone (7,1%). The relative frequency of dorsal tract increased with growing of age. The morfo-functional changes of the sample seem to depend rather on the performed job, than on degenerative process of age, partly because the average age of the sample is not much elevated and because the enlistment in Italian Police Force is subordinated to verification of optimum conditions, also characterized by absence of anomaly of column. The absence of clinical alteration, in contrast to reported rachidian symptomatology by 82,02% of subjects and with discovered objectivity, demands more clinical attention in presence of symptomatology and proposes supplementary non-invasive techiniques of investigation, as the telethermography and the formetric tridimensional examination.

[Changes in the radiologic and spirometric profile in subjects with pulmonary silicosis]. / Evoluzione del quadro radiologico e spirometrico in soggetti affetti da silicosi polmonare.

All admissions with diagnosis of silicosis from 1980 to 2000, in the Occupational Medicine Division of Fondazione S. Maugeri, Cassano Murge (Bari), were examined. From 586 gathered medical records we selected 106 subjects with double admissions and detected their X-rays of chest, FVC and FEV1. The stationary results of their chest X-rays and the light declines of their respiratory functions confirm the slow evolution in time of this pathology.

[Assessment of biological risk of blood transmission among health workers at a Bari university hospital]. / Valutazione del rischio biologico a trasmissione ematica negli operatori di una Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria di Bari.

We have examined all occupational exposures to biological materials, occurred from September 2001 to December 2002, among health workers of Bari polyclinic. The reported exposures, through an appropriate questionnaire expressly predisposed, have been a total of 114. The nurses were the most exposed category (46.5%) followed by physicians (27.2%). The highest load of accidents happened in surgical area (53%) and at a greater extent after the first three hours of the work shift (60%). The instruments that have caused endermic lesions have been more frequently the hollow bone needles (53.2%). The serology for HBV, HCV, and HIV of source-patients was known in the 87.8% of cases: 13 patients were positive for HCV, 1 for HIV and 2 were HbsAg positive. All injured workers were submitted to serological screening for HBV, HCV, HIV; for nobody of them seroconversions were observed.