Ionizing radiation and stress: the analysis of the medical ray technician.

BACKGROUND: The present study aims to analyzing the relation between the work-related distress with the exposition to ionizing radiations in the radiology technicians, in the hospital environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our present study has been conducted on a group of 36 sanitary technicians (14 women and 22 man, with an average age of 48±10,1 years) working in the Hospital Radiology Pavilion; 28 of them were less-exposed to radio-active emissions (B Category) and 8 were more exposed to radio-active emissions (A Category). The HSE questionnaire has been administered to all the 36 sanitary technicians. The data analysis and statistical elaboration were conducted using the HSE Tools. After that, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was applied to the comparison of the medians of two independent samples. RESULTS: The HSE tools questionnaire's analysis (made on the whole population) made evident some criticalities in the domains of the managerial support and of the professionals' relationships: in the B Category group (less- exposed to radio-emissions) further criticalities emerged, in the domain of peer-support and in the change domain. The HSE questionnaire analysis, made adopting the Mann-Whitney non-parametric statistical test, significant statistical differences emerged from 2 questions of the 35 sub-administered questions, regarding the mostly radio-exposed workers. CONCLUSIONS: From the research analysis, the authors deducted the small relevance of the emerged criticalities for the two groups of workers; the researchers also believe that, given the (almost complete) homogeneity of the results emerging from the statistical analysis (done with the Mann Whitney test), the perception of the of the work-related distress risk is irrelevant to the dose of ionizing radio-exposition.

Italy and Argentina compared: an epidemiological study of occupational diseases.

BACKGROUND: The research presented in this paper analyses the clinic-pathological manifestations and work-related health risks identified among outpatients treated in the hospitals of Rome and Buenos Aires. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The occupational anamnestic data were collected between 2013 and 2014 through questionnaires with specific items aimed at detecting occupational diseases classified by target organ systems in outpatient clinics of cardiology, dermatology, physical medicine, ophthalmology, orthopedics, endocrinology (thyroid and gonads). An inferential statistical analysis was then carried out to evaluate the relationship between nationality, exposure to occupational risks and the prevalence and incidence of the selected pathologies. An univariate statistical analysis was performed for this purpose and, in the case of statistically significant results, a subsequent multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the incidence of occupational risk factors and nationality on the pathology diagnosed in conjunction with other confounding factors such as smoking habits and gender. The total sample consisted of 1090 subjects of both sexes. Risks were grouped into seven categories and diseases into 12 diagnostic groups. We analyzed the correlation between risks and diseases with respect to hospital outpatients and to the total sample then comparing Argentina and Italy's data. RESULTS: Analysis of data revealed a higher prevalence of hypertension and dysmetabolic disorders for DSE (Display Screen Equipment) workers both in Italy and Argentina; however, multivariate analysis showed that smoking represents a confounding factor for this association. A higher prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) was found in the population samples of Rome and there appeared to be a correlation between eye disorders/defects and Argentine data source. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests the usefulness of collecting occupational anamnestic data from outpatient departments to highlight possible associations between occupational risks, lifestyles and pathologies, so as to implement the appropriate prevention strategies.