Assessment of Work Ability of Patients with COPD in Relation to the Workplace.

Context: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common chronic lung diseases and is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in the world. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a heterogeneous and multisystemic disease. Aims of the study was to assess workability of patients with COPD in relation to the workplace. Settings and Design: Prospective study. Methods and Material: The study was conducted on 150 patients with COPD. Each patient was examined by an occupational medicine specialist and a standardized COPD Questionnaire was completed. A physical examination was performed with special emphasis on auscultatory findings on the lungs. Spirometric testing was performed. Using the statistical methods, the results of the parameters of temporary (number of lost working days) and permanent incapacity (exercised right to some kind of disability) of the examined group were analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics. SPSS 10.0. Results of the study showed that out of 150 patients, 48.67% had preserved working capacity for jobs. There are mostly jobs without special working conditions. Out of 150 patients, 51.33% had reduced working capacity for jobs. Conclusions: These are mostly workplaces with special working conditions, where respondents are exposed to the harmfulness of the workplace. Reduced working capacity was found in 51.33% of examined simple.

Changes in bone density measured by ultrasound of calcaneus in sedentary workers.

Aim To determine a degree of change in the bones of workers who spend their full time job in sitting position and to find a correlation between smoking and changes in bone structure. Methods Examinees were 213 female workers who worked full time sedentary work in front of computer. Each worker was subjected to physical examination and ultrasonic osteodensitometry of calcaneus. Results The average age of patients was 45.4 years. Changes in bone density were found in 110 (51.64%) workers. Correlation between smoker and non-smoker groups was positive, but "r" was higher in smokers than in non-smokers. It is worrying that 10 out of 22 persons in the group up to 30 years of age have osteopenia. Conclusion Recommendation for regular annual control of bone density of the working group at risk regardless of age should be followed. Prescribing exercise for the working group at risk should be a significant part of preventive work in clinics of occupational medicine and sports.

Is adrenal exhaustion synonym of syndrome burnout at workplace?

UNLABELLED: The objective of this study is the assessment of the association of burnout syndrome with adrenal exhaustion specific symptoms and signs among 116 patients who were exposed to violence or mobbing at workplace and who were treated during 2005 to 2008 in Department of Occupational Pathology and Toxicology Tuzla; to detect symptoms and signs of adrenal exhaustion differences between patients who were exposed to act of violence as acute catastrophic event and patients who were long-term exposed to mobbing or chronic distress at workplace. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data of 86 employees who were exposed to mobbing > 1 years (chronic distress syndrome) and data of 30 employees who were exposed to act of violence as acute traumatic crisis situation (evaluation in first week after acute stress situation and post control observation 6 months later). TOOLS FOR ASSESSMENT WERE CLINICAL EXAMINATION AND QUESTIONNAIRES: Occupational stress questionnaire (OSQ short version), self-constructed Questionnaire about symptoms and signs of Adrenal exhaustion; self-constructed mobbing questionnaire; and Maslach--Burnout Inventory. RESULTS: The patients expressed their traumatic experiences during exposure to stress more than 1 year (long-term exposure) which were compared with acute stress experiences (mostly high level of stress intensity. CONCLUSION: when workers constant expose to repeat mobbing behavior or have perception of extended distress reaction after act of violence at workplace they are suffering of Syndrome burnout and clinical picture of adrenal fatigue.

Stress at work and burnout syndrome in hospital doctors.

INTRODUCTION: Reforming the health care system in Bosnia and Herzegovina began in 1998 through various forms of amendments to existing health plans and programs. There has been the introduction of new technologies, flow of new information from the profession, excessive demands on employers, financial constraints, etc. The hospital doctors in the workplace suffer from too many stressors. Burnout syndrome at work is a form of chronic stress reactions to stressors, and develops as a result of inefficient coping with and solving every day, demanding stressful situations related to professional duties. GOAL: The goals of this study were: to identify the specific stressors of high intensity in the hospital physicians work environment, to discover whether and how certain stressors can affect the appearance of burnout syndrome at work in a hospital physician, to determine whether certain individual factors influence the occurrence of burnout syndrome at work. METHODS AND SUBJECTS: We made the intersection study involving the use of questionnaires, in order to assess the stressors and burnout syndrome in hospital among doctors of the University Clinical Center in Tuzla. RESULTS: The study comprised 34.7% hospital doctors (specialists and doctors on specialization) of a total 423 employees in various departments of the University Hospital Clinical Center in Tuzla. High level of emotional exhaustion was recorded in 37.4%, a high level of depersonalization in 45.6%, and a low level in perceptions of personal accomplishments in 50.3% of respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Continuous exposure to stressors at the workplace, such as work at shifts, excessive workload, poor communication with superiors, and lack of continuous education of hospital physicians can lead to mental and physical exhaustion, professional burnout. Management of the University Clinical Center Tuzla should in the future address the structural reorganization of workplaces, as well as ongoing prevention interventions in other domains of risk factors or stressors, that this study identified.