Evaluation the Effect of Serum Lead Levels on Thyroid Function in Battery Industry Workers.

Objective: To assess the relationships between blood lead levels and thyroid functional tests in battery industry workers. Methods and Materials: This cross-sectional study was performed on 100 personnel of a battery factory in 2019. The checklist including demographic information of employees (age, sex, work experience, smoking, etc.) of the work shift, work environment, and duration of work was completed. Venous blood samples were also taken from the participants to check blood levels of lead and thyroid hormones. Results: The mean age of participants was 36.1 ± 5.6 years and their mean TSH and lead levels were 3.69 ± 2.45 mIU/L and 297.9 ± 174.2 µg/L, respectively. Participants were divided into two groups based on job duties: administrative and working in the production line. Participants were divided into two groups based on blood lead levels: normal (less than 300 µg/L) and high lead level (more than 300 µg/L). Only the work experience between these two groups was significantly different and was higher in the high lead group compared to the normal lead group and no significant difference was observed between different groups based on lead level in terms of TSH level and thyroid hormones. Conclusion: Our study showed that although the amount of whole blood lead concentration is not related to thyroid hormone levels and thyroid function, but with increasing work experience, the amount of whole blood lead also increases significantly and since lead poisoning can have many health hazards, employers must plan to minimize the lead exposure of workers and provide protective equipment for workers.

A study on musculoskeletal complaints and working postures in pathology specialists in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are one of the most common causes of occupational injuries and disabilities among health care workers. This study investigates the relationship between musculoskeletal complaints and pathologist postures in laboratories. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, 40 pathologists were evaluated. MSDs in different body segments of the participants were evaluated by Nordic questionnaire. For postural analysis, 20 min film was recorded while using a microscope by subjects. Posture analysis was done by the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) method and their repetitive movements were scored. The data was analyzed by SPSS Version 11.5. RESULTS: The mean age and duration of employment of subjects was 36.57 ± 7.54 years and 6.50 ± 6.30 years, respectively. Most MSDs were found in neck (65%), wrist (57.5%), upper back (50%) and lower back (47.5%). The mean RULA grand score was higher in participants with upper back and shoulder pain. A statistically significant relationship was found between the mean RULA grand, the upper back pain (P = 0.02) and the wrist pain (P = 0.003), as well as between the mean RULA B, the neck pain (P = 0.02) and the lower back pain (P = 0.05). The results showed a significant relationship between mean weekly working hours and tight (P < 0.001), wrist (p = 0.01) and ankle (P = 0.008). CONCLUSION: This study revealed high prevalence of MSDs among the pathologists. Therefore, performing ergonomic corrective actions is essential in order to improve their physical conditions at work.

The Effect of Exposure to Rubber Production Emissions and Physical Activity on Pulmonary Function Indices among Tyre Manufacturing Employees in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to rubber production emissions can cause respiratory problems. There is some evidence that physical activity might have protective effects against respiratory obstruction. AIMS: This study, was investigated the effect of physical activity on potential respiratory damages induced by the exposure to rubber production chemicals. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out during 2019 on the staff of a rubber manufacturing company in Khorasan, Iran. Employees of a rubber manufacturing company were recruited in this cross-sectional study (n = 385), and were classified into exposed (n = 266) and unexposed (n = 119) groups. Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPAQ) was used to assess the level of physical activity. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the effects of exposure, physical activity and confounding variables on pulmonary function test (PFT) results. RESULTS: Work, leisure time and total physical activity scores were significantly higher in exposure group compared with control group subjects. Although no significant differences were observed between the exposure and control groups in most spirometric parameters, FEF25-75 was significantly lower in the exposure group (P = 0.035). Abnormal PFT was observed in 93 participants (24.2%) and in the multivariate model was significantly associated with exposure (OR = 1.80, CI95: 1.01-3.22) and age (OR = 1.08, CI95: 1.02-1.14) but not physical activity score. CONCLUSION: Exposure to rubber manufacturing chemicals nearly doubles the odds of abnormal PFT, and the self-reported level of physical activity had no protective effect against these occupational hazards.

A Review of the Strategies and Studies on the Prevention and Control of the New Coronavirus in Workplaces.

Workplaces are susceptible places for exposure to the new coronavirus (Covid-19) infection due to gathering of many people. Hence, different instructions have been promoted by international organizations regarding high-risk employees and the necessity of implementing health policies to prevent exposure and infection in the workplace. Here we reviewed the required strategies to prevent and control COVID-19 in the workplace. In conclusion, considering the fast spreading and growing prevalence of the new corona virus disease in the world over, all managers, employers, and business owners should receive the necessary information and training on prevention and control strategies based on scientific guidelines and standards.

The knowledge of hand hygiene among the healthcare workers of two teaching hospitals in Mashhad.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect millions of patients worldwide annually. Hand hygiene (HH) has been identified as the single most important factor preventing HAIs. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge regarding hand hygiene practices amongst health care workers, and identifying the areas of gaps in their knowledge. METHODS: This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted in two university hospitals in Mashhad, Iran between May 2014 and September 2015. Data was collected using a translated version of the World Health Organization (WHO) Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire (revised 2009). The questionnaire contained questions on the participants' age, gender, profession, year of the course, formal training in HH and 27 multiple choice and "yes" or "no" questions to assess HH knowledge. Data were entered into IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 16. Descriptive statistical methods and also analytical statistical methods include ANOVA and Independent-samples t-test were used in data analyzing. RESULTS: In total, 161 respondents including 32 residents, 92 nurses and 37 nursing assistants enrolled in this study. All study groups had a moderate knowledge of HH. The score of 21% was ≤ 50% (poor) and only 10.6% had a good knowledge score (i.e. the score ≥75%). There was no significant difference in the knowledge level of the participants who had received formal training in HH and those who had not (p=0.68). Also, the mean knowledge score was not associated with age (p=0.12), gender (p=0.84), department (p=0.96) or profession (p=0.43). CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of applying the multimodal training program addressing providers' knowledge regarding hand hygiene, as well as strategies for cognitive, emotional and behavioral methods such as patient engagement in hand-hygiene interventions.

A Survey on Low Back Pain Risk Factors in Steel Industry Workers in 2015.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of low back pain (LBP) and its association with individual factors and current job status among steel industry workers in Mashhad, Iran. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Several studies have been conducted on LBP and its related risk factors, some of which emphasized oc-cupational factors as the main etiology of LBP. Meanwhile, individual risk factors have been emphasized in other studies. Despite several published articles, there are still many unresolved, basic issues about developing LBP. METHODS: For this study, 358 male workers were selected by a random sampling method and divided into two groups: production workers (n=201) and administrative personnel (n=157). Data were collected using modified Nordic questionnaire and physical examination. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the correlation between individual factors and current job status with LBP. RESULTS: Despite the young age of participants and their short employment duration, the overall prevalence of LBP was high (32.4%) in this industry. The prevalence of non-specific LBP in production workers and administrative personnel was 26.8% and 21.0%, respectively. Disk herniation was observed in 10.4% of production workers and 6.3% of administrative personnel. Age, employment duration, body mass index and smoking status were similar in the two groups. There was no significant relationship between LBP and current job status; however, a significant relationship was found between prevalence of LBP with age, duration of employment, and leisure time physical activity (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We have not found any relationship between LBP and current occupational status suggesting that the effects of general health-related factors such as weight, age, leisure time physical activity, and duration of employment are more important than occupational factors in developing LBP.

A study on respiratory problems and pulmonary function indexes among cement industry workers in Mashhad, Iran.

BACKGROUND: The respiratory system is the most vulnerable system in the cement industry. This study was conducted to determine the effects of occupational exposure to cement dust on the respiratory system more thoroughly. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this cross sectional study an interviewer-administered questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics and respiratory symptoms was completed and pulmonary function tests were carried out on 100 exposed and 120 non-exposed workers at the cement factory in Mashhad, Iran. The data was statistically analyzed by SPSS 16. RESULTS: The mean of age and work duration in the exposed group was 37.5±6.3 and 10.7±5.4 years compared with the non-exposed group that was 36.1±7.1 and 10.1±5.7 years, respectively. Levels of exposure to inhalable cement dust in the exposed group were 23.13 mg/m3 (higher than national occupational exposure limits for such particles). Among the exposed group, respiratory symptoms as cough (6% vs. 0.8% of the non-exposed) and sputum (7% vs. 0.8% of the nonexposed) were significantly more prevalent (p<0.05). Forced expiratory flow 25-75% (FEF25-75%) was significantly lower in the exposed workers compared with non-exposed ones (p<0.05). Also forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) and FEF25-75% had a reverse correlation with the length of employment (p=0.000 and p=0.003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study showed that occupational exposure to cement dust could be a significant factor of respiratory system dysfunction. Strict implementation of a respiratory protection program is recommended in cement industries.

Delayed polyneuropathy in farm sprayers due to chronic low dose pesticide exposure.

BACKGROUND: The use of organophosphates (OPs) in developing countries is rising in large quantities and non-secure methods. This problem not only causes acute poisoning but also may lead to chronic diseases such as polyneuropathy. In Iran, 60% of pesticides are organophosphate compounds that may lead to delayed polyneuropathy. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate delayed polyneuropathy in farm sprayers due to chronic low dose pesticide exposure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our cross-sectional study, non-randomized sampling method was performed and 100 farm sprayers (cases) and 100 hospital personnel (controls) after precise systemic and neurological examination were recruited to this study from June 2011 to august 2011. The nerve conduction studies were performed and these indices were recorded: Compound Muscle Action Potential (CMAP), amplitude and Distal Latency (DL) and Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) of common peroneal nerve, Peak Latency (PL) and amplitude of Sensory Nerve Action Potential (SNAP) and Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) of sural and radial sensory nerves. RESULTS: Among 100 cases, 55 farm sprayers complained of non-neurological problems including: ophthalmologic, dermatologic and pulmonary complications. The ophthalmologic complaints (44%) were the most. The mean peroneal CMAP amplitude and NCV, sural PL, radial SNAP amplitude, PL and NCV in the case group were significantly different compared to control group. Mean exposure time to OPs in farm sprayers without neurological problem (40%) was 11.81 ± 5.84 years but in farm sprayers with neurological problems (60%) was 15.70 ± 9.08 years, which represents the effect of OPs exposure duration on neurologic problems. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic low dose pesticide exposure could lead to delayed peripheral neuropathy as well as systemic (skin, eyes and lungs) complications. In farm sprayers electrodiagnostic indices were significantly abnormal as compared to control group. The normal indices did not rule out neurologic involvement and it seems that measurement of these indices at the beginning of the farm sprayers employment and intermittently during their work is helpful for detecting delayed polyneuropathy.

Sciatica in a five-year-old boy.

The prevalence of back pain during childhood is 50%; in 22% of these cases, a specific diagnosis can be found. Osteoid osteoma is a rare benign tumor that occursonly in 20% of cases and involves the spine. The aim of this report is to explain an atypical case of lumbar osteoid osteoma with significant neurologic deficit at a very young age. A five-year-old boy was presented with refractory pain in the low back and left extremity for approximately one year. Positive clinical findings were antalgic gait, stiff lumbar spine, weak left big toe extension force and a positive straight leg rising test on the left side. Paraclinical studies revealed osteoid osteoma in the left-sided pedicle of the fifth lumbar vertebra. With surgical excision, he recovered immediately. Lumbar osteoid osteoma should be suspected as the cause of low back pain or sciatalgia in any young patient.

A study on job postures and musculoskeletal illnesses in dentists.

OBJECTIVES: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) compose a large part of occupational diseases in dental professionals, prevention of which is dependent on assessment and improvement of job postures by means of ergonomic interventions. This study was aimed at evaluation of ergonomic conditions of the profession of dentists and also at assessing the relationship between MSDs and conditions of work. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed among 65 dentists using the method of Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA). The prevalence of MSDs was obtained by the use of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). RESULTS: In this investigation, the prevalence of MSDs for different body parts was: 75.9% for the neck, 58.6% for the shoulders, 56.9% for the upper back, 48.3% for the lower back and 44.8% for the wrist. Job analysis by the use of REBA showed that 89.6% of limbs in group A and 79.3% of limbs in group B had a score > 4. Only neck and lower back pain have significant relationship with the risk levels obtained using the REBA method. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that work postures of dentists need to be improved. In addition to education, work station design, rest period during work and regular physical activities should be taken into account.

The relationship between Video Display Terminals (VDTs) usage and dermatologic manifestations: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Recently, it has been observed that Video Display Terminals (VDTs) usage for long periods can cause some dermatological manifestations on the face. An analytical cross-sectional study was designed in order to determine this relationship. METHODS: In this study, 600 office workers were chosen randomly from an organization in Tehran (Iran). The subjects were then divided into two groups based on their exposure to VDTs. 306 workers were considered exposure negative (non VDT user) who worked less than 7 hours a week with VDTs. The remainders 294 were exposure-positive, who worked 7 hours or more with VDTs. The frequency of dermatologic manifestations was compared in these two groups. RESULTS: In the exposure-positive and exposure-negative groups, the frequency of these dermatologic manifestations were 27 and 5 respectively. After statistical analysis, a P.value of < 0.05 was obtained indicating a statistically significant difference between these two groups for dermatological manifestations. CONCLUSION: According to our study, there is a relationship between dermatologic manifestations on the face and exposure to VDTs.