Post-traumatic Tietze syndrome as an occupational accident: A case report study.

Tietze syndrome is an inflammatory arthropathy of costochondral junction characterized by chest pain, tenderness and swelling. We reported the case of a 35-year-old worker with post traumatic Tietze syndrome. He had a history of two occupational chest traumas. They both occurred in the third left costo-chondral joint. Chest computed tomography showed located osteolysis. Differential diagnoses were excluded. He was treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics. As for partial permanent disability, we suggested 17% given the importance of the pain and its impact on mobility. Tietze syndrome diagnosis was based on eliminating differential diagnoses. This study raises knowledge about post-traumatic etiology in Tietze syndrome. A better understanding of this pathology could help practitioners with patients facing chest wall pain.

The impact of type 2 diabetes on professional activity.

AIM: To assess the impact of non-insulin-requiring Type 2 diabetes (T2D) on professional activity in terms of absenteeism, presenteeism, reduced productivity and daily activities. METHODS: We conducted a comparative cross-sectional survey of two groups of employees in the Cap Bon textile sector: 75 diabetic and 75 workers free from any endocrinological pathology, seen in the occupational medicine group of Nabeul. The study was spread over 10 months from March 2020.A questionnaire was administered containing the Arabic version of WPAI-GH « Work Productivity and Activity Impairment Questionnaire-General Health ¼ to assess absenteeism, presenteeism, decreased productivity and daily activity. RESULTS: A total of 150 workers participated in our study. Diabetes was responsible for absenteeism of 5.1 ± 8.9%, presenteeism of 4.8 ± 6,4%, a decrease in productivity of 7.3 ± 7.8% and a decrease in the daily activity of 14,6 ± 10%. The rate of presenteeism, decrease in productivity and daily activity were significantly higher in T2D (p = 0.015). Absenteeism was associated with degenerative complications (p< 0,001). Presenteeism was associated with the duration of the course of diabetes (p < 0,001). CONCLUSION: Diabetes has a negative impact in productivity and general activity. Early and multidisciplinary management of these patients improves their professional performance.

Inhalant abuse detection and evaluation in young Tunisians.

Occupational exposure biological monitoring techniques were applied for the diagnosis of inhalation abuse and for the evaluation of the levels of exposure to benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, and n-hexane, in 44 Tunisian adolescents and children suspected for volatile substance addiction. Urinary trans,trans-muconic acid, hippuric acid (HA), mandelic acid, and methylhippuric acids determinations were performed by high performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array detector, and urinary o-cresol (o-Cr) and 2,5-hexanedione (HD) were extracted simultaneously and measured using gas chromatography with a flame ionization detector. Given the high linearity ranges, HD and o-Cr occupational exposure monitoring techniques could be applied without modification. However, urinary sample dilution was necessary before HA analysis. Concentrations were compared with the maxima of normal values (MNVs) in the general population and to the biological exposure indices (BEIs) used in occupational toxicology. Values as high as 6610-fold the MNV and 68 times the BEI were registered. The subjects showed high exposure to toluene and hexane. Measured metabolites HA and/or o-Cr and HD enabled the easy detection and evaluation of exposure levels. The problem of inhalant abuse should be given more attention and treated through an effective prevention strategy.

Benzene exposure monitoring of Tunisian workers.

To monitor benzene exposure and to check reliability of urinary trans,trans-Muconic Acid (t,t-MA) as a bio-marker of benzene exposure in local conditions, a study was conducted on 30 Tunisian exposed workers (20 tanker fillers and 10 filling station attendants). The analyses were carried out on environmental air and urinary t,t-MA before (t,t-MAA) and at the end of work shift (t,t-MAB). 20 nonoccupationally exposed subjects were also investigated. The average value of environmental benzene concentration was 0.17 ppm. The differences between t,t-MAA and t,t-MAB concentrations and between t,t-MAB and t,t-MA measured in controls (t,t-MAC) were both significant (p < 0.001). Benzene air concentrations were well correlated with t,t-MAB: R = 0.76. In the nonexposed group, average t,t-MA concentrations is significantly higher among smokers than nonsmokers (P < 0.02). Analysis of urinary t,t-MA offers a relatively simple and suitable method for benzene exposure monitoring.