[Neurological symptoms and syndromes in municipal transport drivers]. / Objawy i zespoly neurologiczne u kierowców pojazdów komunikacji miejskiej.

BACKGROUND: The way the municipal transport drivers perform their job contributes to varied burdens linked with the body posture at work, stress, shift work, vibration, noise and exposure to chemical agents. The aim of the study was to assess the condition of the nervous system (NS) in municipal transport drivers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study covered 42 men, aged 43.4 years (standard deviation (SD): 8.3), employed as bus drivers in the municipal transport enterprise. The duration of employment was 11.8 years on average (SD: 8.6). The condition of the nervous system was assessed on the basis of clinical neurological examinations. RESULTS: Chronic lumbosacral syndrome was found in 54.8% of the subjects. A significant relationship between the incidence of lumbosacral syndrome and the duration of employment (p=0.032) was observed; significantly higher in drivers employed for 11-15 years (90.9%) in comparison to the remaining groups. Nervous system functional disorders were characterized by the increased emotional irritability (47.6%), sleep disorders manifested by excessive sleepiness (33.3%) or insomnia (28.6%) and headaches (3%), mostly tension headaches. Excessive daytime sleepiness was significantly age-dependent (p=0.038). CONCLUSIONS: The evidenced NS disorders indicate the need to undertake preventive measures tailored for the occupational group of bus drivers.

[Epidemiology of cataract in clinical material of Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Lódz]. / Epidemiologia zacmy w materiale Kliniki Chorób Oczu Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Lodzi.

PURPOSE: Analysis of some epidemiological features of patients operated for senile and presenile cataract at our department in years: 1992, 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2002. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the analyzed years 4385 patients (1594 males and 2791 females) aged from 36 to 97 years were operated. The age of patients, sex, duration of cataract symptoms before surgery, preoperative visual acuity, type of cataract, place of living and coexistence of diabetes or high myopia, were taken into consideration. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 70.4. A statistically significant difference between mean age in 1997 (69.7), and 2000 (71.6) and 2002 (71.4) was found. Women tended to be operated on 2 years later than men (mean age for women--71.1, mean age for men--69.1). 16% of patients suffered from diabetes, and 6.7% had high myopia. Senile cataract affected people with high myopia at earlier age (mean--67.3 years). 67.5% of patients were of big town origin, 13% came from small towns and 19% were from the country. Patients from big towns were operated in higher age (mean--72.4 years) than patients from small cities (mean--69.9 years), and from country (mean--70.2 years) and had better visual acuity (mean--0.20) than patients from small towns (mean--0.16) and from country (mean--0.13). Preoperative visual acuity in the range 0.4-1.0 was found in 0.4% of patients in 1992, and in 28% in 2002. The visual acuity <0.1 was found in 77.5% of patients in 1992 and in 45% of patients in 2002. CONCLUSIONS: Mean age of patients operated for cataract is increasing and there is a tendency of performing operations in cases with better visual acuity. Women suffer from cataract later than men. People of country origin were operated at earlier age with worse visual acuity comparing to patients coming from towns. Senile cataract affects people with high myopia at earlier age.