[Contribution of the occupational health to the COVID-19 pandemic control.] / Contribución de la salud laboral al control de la pandemia por covid-19 en España.

When the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, the Spanish Ministry of Health called the health, labor, social security authorities, Labor and Social Security Inspection, National Institute of Security and Occupational Health, employers, unions, occupational risk prevention services, mutual societies and scientific societies of occupational medicine and nursing, to collaborate in the control of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in companies. The Occupational Health Group of the Public Health Commission of the Interterritorial Council of the National Health System, developed the Procedure for the prevention of occupational risks in the face of exposure to SARS-CoV-2, which has been updated 15 times until the date. It contains the prevention measures to be implemented in the workplaces: organizational and collective protection, personal protection, especially vulnerable worker and risk level, study and management of cases and contacts that occurred in the company, collaboration in the management of temporary disability and, more recently, reincorporation and management of vaccinated workers. As a result of these cooperation and collaboration frameworks, a series of activities were deployed in the workplace, which are described in this article.

Cuando la Organización Mundial de la Salud declaró la Covid-19 como una emergencia de salud pública de importancia internacional, el Ministerio de Sanidad convocó a las autoridades sanitarias, laborales, de seguridad social, Inspección de Trabajo y Seguridad Social, Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo, empresarios, sindicatos, servicios de prevención de riesgos laborales, mutuas y sociedades científicas de la medicina y enfermería del trabajo, para colaborar en el control de la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2 en el ámbito de las empresas. La Ponencia de Salud Laboral de la Comisión de Salud Pública del Consejo Interterritorial del Sistema Nacional de Salud, elaboró el Procedimiento para los servicios de prevención de riesgos laborales frente a la exposición al SARS-CoV-2, que se ha actualizado 15 veces hasta la fecha. En él se recogen las medidas de prevención a implantar en los centros de trabajo: de carácter organizativo y de protección colectiva, de protección personal, de trabajador especialmente vulnerable y nivel de riesgo, de estudio y manejo de casos y contactos ocurridos en la empresa, de colaboración en la gestión de la incapacidad temporal y, más recientemente, de reincorporación y gestión de las y los trabajadores vacunados. Como resultado de esos marcos de cooperación y colaboración se desplegaron una serie de actividades en los lugares de trabajo que son descritas en este artículo.

Prevalencia de asma relacionada con el trabajo y su impacto en atención primaria de salud / Prevalence of Work-Related Asthma and its Impact in Primary Health Care

Fundamento y objetivo: Conocer la prevalencia de asma ocupacional (AO) y de asma exacerbada en el trabajo (AET) entre los pacientes diagnosticados de asma en la atención primaria (AP) de salud. Conocer el impacto en AP debido al infradiagnóstico y la no derivación del AO a la mutua laboral. Pacientes y método: Estudio descriptivo, transversal y multicéntrico, realizado en pacientes entre 16 y 64 años diagnosticados de asma en la historia clínica, que estuvieran trabajando o hubieran trabajado, y asignados a cualquiera de los 16 equipos de AP de un sector sanitario. Basándose en las respuestas del cuestionario cumplimentado en la visita del estudio, que contenía una revisión exhaustiva de todas las etapas laborales del sujeto, un experto en asma laboral clasificaba a los asmáticos en 3 categorías: AO, AET o asma común (AC). Resultados: De los 368 pacientes que cumplimentaron el cuestionario se obtuvo una prevalencia de AO del 18,2% (25% en hombres y 14,6% en mujeres, p = 0,046) y 54 pacientes (14,7%) fueron clasificados como AET; así, el total de pacientes con asma relacionada con el trabajo (ART) resultó ser el 32,9%. Los pacientes con ART realizaron más bajas laborales que los pacientes con AC (p < 0,001). Conclusiones: Se obtiene una elevada prevalencia de ART atendida por la AP. Hay una baja sospecha por parte de la AP de ART

Background and objective: To determine the prevalence of occupational asthma (OA) and workexacerbated asthma (WEA) among asthmatic patients diagnosed in Primary Health Care (PHC). To analyze the impact at PHC level caused by under-diagnosis and inappropriate referral of OA. Patients and methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional multicenter study in patients aged between 16 and 64 years diagnosed with asthma, according to their medical record; all were working or had worked, and were assigned to one of 16 PHCcenters inahealthcare district.Based onthe responses to the questionnaire completed at the study visit, which included a thorough review of the subject’s entire working history, patients were classified into three categories by an expert in occupational asthma: OA, WEA or common asthma (CA). Results: Three hundred and sixty-eight patients completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of OA was 18.2% (25% in men and 14.6% in women, P = .046), and 54 patients (14.7%) were classified as WEA. The proportion of patients with work-related asthma (WRA) was therefore 32.9%. Asthmatic patients with WRA took more sick leave than CA patients (P < .001). Conclusions: A high prevalence of WRA was found, mostly treated in PHC. Under-diagnosis of WRA is widespread in PHC

Prevalence of Work-Related Asthma and its Impact in Primary Health Care.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of occupational asthma (OA) and work-exacerbated asthma (WEA) among asthmatic patients diagnosed in Primary Health Care (PHC). To analyze the impact at PHC level caused by under-diagnosis and inappropriate referral of OA. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional multicenter study in patients aged between 16 and 64years diagnosed with asthma, according to their medical record; all were working or had worked, and were assigned to one of 16 PHC centers in a healthcare district. Based on the responses to the questionnaire completed at the study visit, which included a thorough review of the subject's entire working history, patients were classified into three categories by an expert in occupational asthma: OA, WEA or common asthma (CA). RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty-eight patients completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of OA was 18.2% (25% in men and 14.6% in women, P=.046), and 54 patients (14.7%) were classified as WEA. The proportion of patients with work-related asthma (WRA) was therefore 32.9%. Asthmatic patients with WRA took more sick leave than CA patients (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of WRA was found, mostly treated in PHC. Under-diagnosis of WRA is widespread in PHC.

Prevalence of Work-Related Asthma in Primary Health Care: Study Rationale and Design.

BACKGROUND: Occupational Asthma (OA) is the most frequent origin of occupational respiratory diseases in industrialized countries and accounts for between 5% and 25% of asthmatic patients. The correct and early diagnosis of OA is of great preventive and socio-economic importance. However, few studies exist on OA's prevalence in Catalonia and in Spain and those affected are mainly treated by the public health services and not by the occupational health services, which are private. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of OA in patients diagnosed with asthma in the Primary Healthcare system and to evaluate the socio-economic impact of OA in the Primary Healthcare system. METHODS/DESIGN: We will carry out an observational, transversal and multi-center study in the Primary Healthcare Service in the Barcelona region (Catalonia, Spain), with 385 asthmatic workers aged between 16 and 64 who are currently working or have been working in the past. We will confirm the asthma diagnosis in each patient, and those meeting the inclusion criteria will be asked to answer a questionnaire that aims to link asthma to the patient's past employment history. The resulting diagnosis will be of either occupational asthma, work-aggravated asthma or common asthma. We will also collect socio-demographic information about the patients, about their smoking status, their exposure outside of the workplace, their work situation at the onset of the symptoms, their employment history, their symptoms of asthma, their present and past medical asthma treatment, and, in order to estimate the economic impact in the Primary Healthcare system, where they have been attended to and treated. Prevalence will link OA or work-aggravated asthma to the total of patients participating in the study with a asthma diagnosis. DISCUSSION: The results will show the prevalence of OA and work-aggravated asthma, and shall provide valuable information to set out and apply the necessary personal and technical measures, either in the public or in the occupational health services. No studies evaluating the costs generated by the OA in the Primary Healthcare system have been carried out.

Imaging patellar complications after knee arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study is to describe complications affecting the patella in patients with total or partial knee arthroplasty. We respectively analysed plain-film radiographs, as well as ultrasound images when acquired, in a consecutive series of 1272 patients. The mean interval from knee replacement to patellar complications was 5 years and 7 months (range, 5 months to 14 years). The complications described include fracture, instability, dislocation or luxation, necrosis of the patella, infection of the patella, erosion of the patella, patellar impingement on the prosthesis and patellar or quadricipital tendon tear. We discuss the pathological imaging findings in the patella and their differential diagnosis after knee arthroplasty. Patellar complications after knee arthroplasty are uncommon but often potentially serious.

The use of MRI scanning for investigating soft-tissue abnormalities in the elbow.

It is well known that the elbow is one of the most difficult joints to be examined in MR, because of its position in relation to the body during the examination. Moreover, there is relatively little information about the elbow, even less in its soft tissues abnormalities, in the literature in comparison to other joints. This article describes the spectrum of MR findings soft tissues abnormalities of the elbow, giving an analysis of injuries to the elbow ranging from inflammation to rupture to masses, and the role of MR in post-surgical follow-up. It is demonstrated that MR provides an excellent alternative to other imaging techniques that would be of interest to orthopedic surgeons. The value of MRI to accurately determine the nature and extent of the pathologic changes in ligaments, tendons and muscles structures of the elbow joint is presented in the following discussion.

An unusual case of tophaceous gout involving the anterior cruciate ligament.

Abstract We describe a very unusual case of a 49-year-old man with tophaceous gout involving and infiltrating the base of the anterior cruciate ligament of the left knee. To our knowledge, such a case has never been reported in the literature, although gout is well known and widely studied. Magnetic resonance imaging findings and differential diagnosis were analyzed before arthroscopy. Tophaceous gout was suspected at arthroscopy and confirmed on pathologic examination. Treatment consisted of partial removal of the tumor by arthroscopy, conserving the anterior cruciate ligament.

Mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament with erosion of the lateral femoral condyle.

We report a case of a mucoid degeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that produced osseous erosion of the medial aspect of the lateral femoral condyle. The MRI findings and differential diagnosis are discussed.