[Health impact of working conditions at the Ruashi mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo]. / Impact des conditions de travail sur la santé des artisans miniers de la Ruashi (République Démocratique du Congo).

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the health impact of working conditions at the Ruashi mine in the Katanga Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional etiological study was conducted in two cohorts including 100 miners and 109 students. Data necessary to allow comparison disease symptoms in the two cohorts were collected using a questionnaire. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. A secondary analysis was performed to compare different mine workstations, i.e., diggers (n=61) versus non-diggers (n=39). Two logistical regression models were used to estimate adjusted OR and 95% CI for the association between occupation/workstation and disease symptoms. RESULTS: In comparison with students, miners exhibited higher frequencies for all symptoms even after adjustment. The highest ORs were observed for musculoskeletal disorders, i.e., low back pain (OR=36.5) and upper (OR = 20.7) or lower (OR = 18.3)] extremity pain. They were followed by respiratory disorders (OR = 5.91) and headache (OR = 5.34). CONCLUSION: The high exposure frequencies and OR's observed in this study underline the negative health impact of mine working conditions. Further occupational study will be needed to obtain and compare more data.

Impact des conditions de travail sur la sante des artisans miniers de la Ruashi (Republique democratique du Congo)

Objectif. Ce travail visait a mettre en evidence les impacts des conditions de travail sur la sante des artisans miniers de la mine de la Ruashi dans la Province du Katanga. Materiels et methodes. Nous avons procede a une etude transversale a visee etiologique de deux populations: mineurs (n=100) et etudiants (n=109). Les donnees de notre echantillon (n=209) ont ete recueillies sur base d'un questionnaire en vue d'une comparaison des symptomes de maladies. Les Odds ratios (OR) et leurs intervalles de confiance a 95ont ete estimes. Une analyse secondaire a permis de faire la comparaison entre les postes de travail des artisans miniers creuseurs (n=61) et non-creuseurs (n=39). Deux modeles de regression logistique ont ete utilises pour estimer les OR ajustes pour l'association activite professionnelle / poste de travail et les symptomes de maladie. Resultats. Par rapport aux etudiants; les artisans miniers ont des frequences elevees pour tous les symptomes. Les OR des troubles musculo-squelettiques etaient les plus eleves [douleurs dorsales (OR=36;5); douleurs des membres superieurs (OR=20;7); des membres inferieurs (OR=18;3)] et cela meme apres ajustement. Venaient ensuite les troubles respiratoires (OR=5;91) et les maux de tete (OR=5;34). Conclusion. Les frequences et cotes d'exposition elevees observees dans ce travail attestent de l'impact negatif des conditions de travail des artisans mineurs sur leur sante. Ces resultats devraient etre confrontes avec ceux d'autres etudes en sante au travail dans ce milieu

Determination of urinary iodine by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Mild iodine deficiency is endemic in many countries of Europe including Belgium. Fast, accurate and specific methods for quantification of urinary iodine are needed. We describe in this report a specific ICP-MS method for the quantification of urinary iodine. METHOD: Samples and iodate calibrators were diluted 20 times into aqueous solution containing triton X-100, 1.5% HCl and (103)Rh as an internal standard. Prior digestion or oxidation was not necessary. Results were compared with those obtained by Sandell-Kolthoff (S-K) spectrophotometric method. RESULTS: Comparison of both methods showed good agreement. The Passing-Bablok regression between both methods was ICP-MS=0.986 (S-K)-7.51. The Bland-Altman difference plot showed a small but significant mean difference of -13.3 microg/L for ICP-MS. The between-day coefficient of variation (CV) was 13% at 89 microg/L. Limit of detection was 4 microg/L and limit of quantification was 20 microg/L. No carryover effect has been observed on series containing up to 50 samples. CONCLUSION: The ICP-MS method described here is fast, accurate and specific for the quantification of urinary iodine. Compared to the S-K method the urinary iodine concentrations measured by the ICP-MS method were slightly, but significantly lower. Consequently, the results of studies using S-K method should be compared with caution with those using the ICP-MS method.

[Noise in neonatology, the impact of hospital staff]. / Le bruit en néonatologie, impact du personnel hospitalier.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the various sources of noise in a neonatal intensive care unit in a university hospital centre and to assess the noise level. METHODS: The nursing staff was interviewed to obtain a qualitative assessment of the noise in the department. Quantitative observations using a sound level meter and a dosimeter were then made. The measurements presented here were carried out in two different units caring for the newborn: on the heated table and in an incubator. RESULTS: Many sources of noise were identified in the unit. They were responsible for a noisy environment, the level of which was far greater than current recommendations and left few periods of quiet. The alarms of the various monitors and maintenance apparatuses, the crying of the newborn and the activity of the staff were the principal sources of noise. CONCLUSION: The impact of hospital staff on the extent and frequency of sources of noise is crucial. An enhanced awareness strategy should therefore be developed.

[Hypopituitarism caused by pituitary stalk transsection syndrome. Pathogenic hypotheses apropos of 7 cases]. / Hypopituitarisme par syndrome d'interruption de la tige infundibulaire. Hypothèses pathogéniques à propos de sept observations.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the hypothalamic hypophyseal area was performed in seven children with multiple hypophyseal deficiency including growth hormone deficiency. In all cases stalk transection syndrome was found. In four cases MRI showed cranial or cerebral malformations. Perinatal asphyxia was found in only one child, and congenital hypopituitarism was present in two cases. The discussion focuses on the mechanisms that might be responsible for this syndrome. The malformation theory, while not taking into account all situations, seems to be the most appropriate, the reasons being the MRI finding and the patients' case histories.