Compensation for occupational skin diseases.

The Korean list of occupational skin diseases was amended in July 2013. The past list was constructed according to the causative agent and the target organ, and the items of that list had not been reviewed for a long period. The revised list was reconstructed to include diseases classified by the International Classification of Diseases (10th version). Therefore, the items of compensable occupational skin diseases in the amended list in Korea comprise contact dermatitis; chemical burns; Stevens-Johnson syndrome; tar-related skin diseases; infectious skin diseases; skin injury-induced cellulitis; and skin conditions resulting from physical factors such as heat, cold, sun exposure, and ionized radiation. This list will be more practical and convenient for physicians and workers because it follows a disease-based approach. The revised list is in accordance with the International Labor Organization list and is refined according to Korean worker's compensation and the actual occurrence of occupational skin diseases. However, this revised list does not perfectly reflect the actual status of skin diseases because of the few cases of occupational skin diseases, incomplete statistics of skin diseases, and insufficient scientific evidence. Thus, the list of occupational diseases should be modified periodically on the basis of recent evidence and statistics.

Work-related injuries and fatalities among farmers in South Korea.

BACKGROUND: Agricultural injuries are increasing in South Korea according to its workforce's reduced size and increased age. Available data are insufficient to exactly understand present situation. This study evaluated the patterns and characteristics of agricultural injury and assessed the injury rates. METHODS: We analyzed the entry and compensation data compiled in 2005 by the Safety Aid System of Farm Workers, South Korea's government insurance for agricultural injury. We examined the general characteristics, rates, and mortality of agricultural injury. RESULTS: There were 11,931 compensated events, including 219 compensated deaths. Farm injuries occurred most frequently in October, and most injuries were unintentional. The incidence and fatality rates were 16.67 per 1,000 person-years and 30.59 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. Most number of agricultural injuries occurred in October. The most common cause of deaths was accidents caused by machinery use (35.64%) for males and other transport accidents (23.53%) for females, while the most common cause of injuries for females was falls (45.39%). Incidence and mortality rate of agricultural injuries were higher in elders. CONCLUSIONS: Although injury rates may have been underestimated owing to data limitations, we are confident that South Korea's rate is higher than those seen in other countries or occupations.

Effects of statin and deferoxamine administration on neurological outcomes in a rat model of intracerebral hemorrhage.

Deferoxamine (DFX), a potent iron-chelating agent, reduces brain edema and neuronal cell injury that develop due to the hemolysis cascade. Statins have neuroprotective effects via anti-inflammatory action and increment of cerebral blood flow after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of combined DFX and statins treatment in an experimental ICH rat model. The treatments were: intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of DFX (group I), combined treatment of i.p. DFX and oral statins (group II), statins only (group III) and treatment with vehicle (group IV). Induction of ICH was performed with injection of bacterial collagenase type IV into the left striatum. After removal of the brain, hematoma volume, water content and brain atrophy were measured. Immunohistochemistry in the perihematomal region was performed for identification of microglial infiltration, astrocyte expression and apoptotic cell presence. Statistical analysis was performed using the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test and significance was evaluated when the p value was less than 0.05. According to behavioral tests, significant differences among treatment groups were noted 4 weeks after ICH induction (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences among treatment groups in hematoma volume, brain water content or brain atrophy. In the perihematomal area, the activated microglial cells were reduced in the combined treatment group. Among the four groups, a significant difference in immunohistochemical staining was identified (p < 0.05). These results suggest that combined treatment with DFX and statins improves neurologic outcomes after ICH through reduction of microglial infiltration, apoptosis, inflammation and brain edema.

Significance analysis of histologic type and perineural invasion as prognostic factors after curative resection of ampulla of Vater carcinoma.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Periampullary adenocarcinoma has either intestinal- or pancreatobiliary-type of differentiation. These types and perineural invasion have been shown to have prognostic relevance. The influences of histologic type and perineural invasion on recurrence and survival in ampullar of Vater carcinoma still need to be assessed. METHODOLOGY: We reviewed and analyzed the clinicopathologic data, surgical outcomes, recurrence and survival of 49 patients who received curative pancreatoduodenectomy for ampulla of Vater carcinoma at Hanyang University Hospital between July 1994 and June 2008. RESULTS: Twenty patients experienced recurrence, and the 5-year overall survival rates were 53.1%. Perineural invasion as well as tumor grade, T stage, lymph node metastasis, and lymphatic invasion were associated with survival (p < 0.05). The group positive for perineural invasion had a high recurrence rate (56.5% versus 28.0%) and a low 5-year survival (39.1% versus 68.0%) compared to those of the negative group. Pancreatobililary-type had a higher recurrence rate (58.3% versus 36.1%) and a lower 5-year survival rate (33.3% versus 61.1%) in comparison to intestinal-type. However, histologic type was not a statistically significant factor (p > 0.1). CONCLUSIONS: Perineural invasion is a significant factor for survival. Histologic type has no significance as a prognostic factor despite differences between the two subgroups.