Cases Of Occupational Diseases Research Articles

Computed Tomography of Contemporary Occupational Lung Disease: A Pictorial Review.

Occupational lung disease remains one of the most common work-related illnesses and accounts for most deaths from occupational illness. Occupational lung diseases often have delayed manifestation over decades and nonspecific clinical presentations, making it challenging for clinicians to promptly identify the disease and implement preventive measures. Radiologists play a crucial role in identifying and diagnosing occupational lung diseases, allowing for removal of the exposure and early medical intervention. In this review, we share our clinical and radiologic approach to diagnosing occupational lung disease and its subtypes. A collection of sample cases of occupational lung diseases commonly encountered in the modern era at a large Canadian university hospital is included to facilitate understanding. This review will provide radiologists with valuable insights into recognizing and diagnosing occupational lung diseases.

Medical and legal diagnoses comparison of the occupational diseases: A nationwide study in Turkey.

The underreporting of occupational diseases in many countries significantly hampers the development of intervention programs, posing a significant public health problem. Our study aimed to contribute to the occupational diseases surveillance by examining the data of hospitals authorized to issue reports throughout Turkey. This cross-sectional study was conducted using medical diagnoses of occupational diseases reported to the General Directorate of Public Health from 81 provinces in Turkey between 1 January 2018 and 31 December 2022. The study evaluated hospitals that made medical diagnoses of occupational diseases and compared age groups, genders, occupational disease diagnosis groups and provinces of work regarding legal and medical diagnoses. The top three disease groups in terms of medical diagnosis are musculoskeletal disorders with 38.8%, respiratory diseases with 14.4% and hearing defects with 10.9%. Regarding legal diagnoses, respiratory system diseases ranked first with 26.4%, followed by musculoskeletal disorders with 8.2% and hearing defects with 5.5%. While the provinces where most cases of medical occupational diseases are diagnosed share similarities, the majority of affected individuals in Karabük and Batman have not received a legal recognition of the occupational disease. Two-thirds of Turkey's medical occupational disease diagnoses were made in two hospitals. This study is reflecting national data in Turkey and is the country's first nationwide study. The number of occupational diseases in Turkey is lower than expected. It would be more accurate to express the data in a way that includes medical diagnoses instead of using the number of compensated files corresponding to legal diagnoses.

СОСТОЯНИЕ ЗДОРОВЬЯ МЕДИЦИНСКИХ СЕСТЁР В ОРЕНБУРГСКОЙ ОБЛАСТИ

Middle-level medical personnel have the most unfavorable health indicators, their incidence is higher than that of doctors and workers in other sectors of the national economy. In this regard, the issues of strengthening and preserving the health of this contingent are becoming especially relevant. The purpose of the study is to study the morbidity of nurses according to medical examinations. To investigate the level of anxiety and depression among them. Materials and methods. A sample study of the "Medical records of a patient receiving outpatient medical care" of nurses working in medical organizations of the Orenburg region who underwent a medical examination in 2022 was conducted. The nurses were also surveyed using the questionnaire "Hospital scale of anxiety and depression". The material was developed on a personal computer using Statistica 10.0 and MS Excel programs. The results obtained. The incidence of nurses was 147.8%. The leading classes of diseases are diseases of the eye and its accessory apparatus, diseases of the circulatory system, diseases of the genitourinary system, diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, mental disorders and behavioral disorders. The association of morbidity with age, length of service, and qualification category has been established. More than a third of the nurses experienced a state of anxiety. The presence of significant symptoms of depression was determined in 11.7 ± 2.4%. The causes of anxiety and depression in nurses were more personal than organizational in nature. An average positive relationship has been determined between the increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression with an increase in morbidity. In their presence, the risk of disease for related classes of diseases increases by 2.6 – 6.6 times in the presence of anxiety, and by 4 – 9 times in the presence of depression. In general, the incidence of all classes of diseases among nurses due to anxiety was 10.8%, which is 7.3% of the total incidence, and the incidence due to depression was 3%, which is 2% of the total incidence. Conclusion. An evidence-based approach based on a comprehensive assessment is needed to make informed decisions on improving the health of nurses. The present study revealed a fairly high incidence of nurses, as well as a high level of anxiety and depression. Although no cases of occupational disease have been identified, a link has been found between morbidity and age, experience, and qualifications. About half of the nurses need follow-up dynamic monitoring, more than half need further follow-up and treatment in a polyclinic.

A clinical case of viral myocarditis associated with sars-cov-2 in a health worker

The study of various pathological conditions associated with COVID-19 remains an urgent task. In occupational medicine, COVID-19 is considered as a new biological factor that can occur not only in the environment, but also in production conditions. Medical workers are at an increased risk of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus when performing their professional duties, while a new coronavirus infection can be considered as an occupational disease. The presence of severe complications of a new coronavirus infection leading to disability gives relevance to the analysis of the features of occupational diseases of medical workers in order to improve their diagnosis, improve prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. The most important manifestation of a new coronavirus infection is a lesion of the cardiovascular system, one of the possible variants of which may be the development of myocarditis. In the Samara region in 2021–2022, 10 cases of chronic occupational diseases associated with a new coronavirus infection that caused permanent disability were identified to medical workers. Of these, viral myocarditis was diagnosed in four cases and inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy in one case. The presented clinical case reflects one of the possible serious complications of coronavirus infection – myocarditis, which led to the development of cardiac arrhythmias. The article presents the principles and results of a medical examination conducted in order to establish a causal relationship of the disease with the professional activity of a medical worker. The need for a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis of manifestations, treatment of COVID-19 and its complications, with the mandatory participation of a cardiologist, improvement of the examination of the connection of COVID-19 with the profession and admission to work in conditions of high risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 medical workers is emphasized.

Occupational diseases occurring in acceptable working conditions: Causes and features of development in the Russian Arctic

Introduction: Acceptable working conditions are essential but they do not ensure complete prevention of occupational diseases. The purpose of the study was to establish possible causes and features of development of occupational diseases in blue-collar employees having acceptable working conditions. Materials and methods: Data on working conditions and occupational disease rates collected within public health monitoring and information from the Register of extracts from occupational disease records in the Russian Arctic for 2007–2021 were analyzed. The relative risk (RR) and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI), the goodness-of-fit criterion (χ2) for the analysis of four-field tables, and the approximation criterion (R2) to determine the measure of correlation between values were calculated. Results: It has been established that 74 of 10,343 occupational disease cases (0.72 %) were registered at enterprises of the Russian Arctic with acceptable working conditions. They were more often related to chemical exposure (40.5 %) and increased labor severity (28.4 %) mainly attributed to equipment design defects (58.1 %) and imperfect technological processes (33.8 %). This group of workers was noted for a younger mean age (48.1 ± 1.3 years), shorter duration of employment (18.9 ± 1.5 years), and a larger proportion of women (28.6 %) compared to those exposed to harmful and hazardous working conditions. It included employees of such jobs as a lorry driver (27.0 %) and painter (10.8 %) from such types of economic activity as mining (56.8 %) and construction (14.9 %). Poisoning (n = 17), radiculopathy (n = 12), mono(poly)neuropathy (n = 11), and bronchial asthma (n = 8) were found to be the most prevalent occupational disorders in them. Conclusion: Some circumstances of registration of health disorders in workers with low exposure to occupational risk factors (usually below occupational safety standards) remain unclear. It is critical to establish validity of such a diagnosis, specifics of drawing up a report on a case of occupational disease, and reporting forms of the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) describing occupational hazards.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ILLNESS AMONG HEALTHCARE EMPLOYEES

The aim of the work is to characterize and assess the state of health of health care workers and to find out which diseases are most common among health care workers and which list of diseases requires treatment on the basis of social health insurance.
 Materials and methods. In the course of the research, 550 health care workers were interviewed and surveyed regarding the feasibility of implementing social insurance for health care workers in the city of Kyiv and medical and preventive institutions in the Kyiv region. Evaluating the classification of commercial and social insurance in Ukraine, the authors noted that 9% of them do not support any type of insurance at all, 5% support commercial insurance, and 85% support social insurance, 1% refrained from answering.
 The results. As of January 1, 2022, the number of insured persons in the Social Insurance Fund of Ukraine was 4,236,285, of which: legal entities – 2,548,964, individuals – 1,714,321, voluntarily insured persons – 52. In 2021, the fund's income amounted to UAH 17,753.1 million, or 99.3% of the plan, including insurance contributions of policyholders and insured persons – UAH 16,858.8 million, which is 99.2% of the plan [1].
 The article provides a thorough characterization of statistical information, which includes the processing of the primary documents "Occupational Disease Record Card (Occupational Injury)", compiled for all cases of occupational diseases first detected and registered in Ukraine for the specified years; conducted questionnaires and interviews of health care workers (employees of health care institutions in the city of Kyiv and Kyiv, Khmelnytskyi, Odesa, Cherkasy, and Sumy regions).
 The number of appeals for qualified specialized medical care and issuance of disability certificates was studied. The formation of occupational diseases of health care workers was also determined and their statistical information was provided.
 Conclusions. For the high-quality functioning of the health care sector and the reduction of mortality among medical workers, it is necessary to implement the proposed model of social insurance for health care workers. It is this kind of insurance that will ensure the proper life of health care workers, preserve and restore their working capacity, reduce the rate of deaths among them with a low financial loss for them and their family members.

Priority directions for preserving the health of underground coal mining workers

Introduction. An increase in life expectancy, a decrease in the mortality rate of the working-age population and an extension of working longevity are the most important components in the development of the human potential of the Russian Federation. We observe the most unfavorable situation with the achievement of the above-mentioned targets in coal mining.
 The study aims to substantiate the priority directions for preserving the health of workers engaged in underground coal mining in modern production conditions based on an assessment of occupational risks to prolong their working longevity.
 Materials and methods. The authors have carried out the analysis of official statistics data (state reports of Rospotrebnadzor and the annual report of Rosstat) for 2021–2022 on the state of working conditions and occupational morbidity in the coal industry. We have summarized the materials of Rosugleprof for 2006–2022 on occupational morbidity in coal industry organizations. We have presented the data of epidemiological studies in a cohort of coal miners on the example of the Rostov region.
 Results. The authors note the largest proportion of cases of occupational pathology among employees of mining enterprises — 40.3%. The most at risk are: sinkers (10.2% of all newly identified cases of occupational diseases in 2022), miners of the treatment face (6.5%), excavator drivers (4.5%). In the structure of occupational morbidity of miners, the leading place is occupied by radiculopathy — 27.0%; sensorineural hearing loss — 22.9%; vibration disease — 22.0%; respiratory diseases (occupational bronchitis, pneumoconiosis, COPD) — more than 15.5%. In a cohort of miners with an established diagnosis of occupational diseases, it was shown that the standardized relative risk (SRR) of death from diseases of the circulatory system was 1.55 times significantly higher compared with the control population.
 Mortality from malignant neoplasms in miners was 44% higher than mortality in the population (SRR=1.44). At the same time, the death rate from the subclass malignant neoplasms of the respiratory system was 2.02 (95% CI 1.85–2.20), and from malignant neoplasms of the bronchi and lungs 2.24 (95% CI 2.04–2.46). The risk of death from respiratory diseases in the cohort of miners was more than 2 times higher than the population indicator (SRR=2.18). A significantly higher frequency of deaths from this class of diseases indicates a causal relationship with dust loads. The prevalence of coronary heart disease (CHD) among coal mine workers is higher than among the unorganized population of large cities and other groups of industrial workers.
 Conclusion. Scientists have recorded the most unfavorable working conditions in underground coal mining, which is due to the technologies used and production conditions. The prevention of diseases among miners requires the creation of health groups and the improvement of medical examination methods. Development of an integrated information system for health monitoring and personalized preventive and rehabilitation measures. To solve this problem, it is necessary to study working conditions, scientifically substantiate preventive measures, harmonize special assessment of working conditions and develop criteria for severity and intensity of work, as well as improve the technology for assessing working conditions and personalized risk assessment.
 Ethics. The study did not require the conclusion of the Ethics committee.

COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 as an occupational disease in Poland.

The unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has led huge impact on health and safety of employees. Although now the epidemiological situation has improved, but it remains a challenge, especially in light of the emergence of new threats. The aim of the work is to present an epidemiological analysis of data on COVID-19 as an occupational disease in Poland. The analysis covered all cases of occupational diseases sent by state sanitary inspectors to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases. The years 2020-2022 and such available data as: age, gender, activities and territorial differentiation were analyzed. The data were presented as absolute numbers and incidence rates per 100 000 employed persons and for healthcare workers also per 100 000 persons authorized to practice. In the period 2020-2022 in Poland 7030 diseases recognized as occupational diseases were recorded, of which almost half were infectious diseases (47%). Among infectious diseases, dominated COVID-19 in number of 2059 cases. In this period 98.6% of all cases of COVID-19 were concentrated in the health care and social activities. According to workplaces, most diseases were caused by working in hospitals - 1825 cases (88.6% of all COVID-19 cases in the healthcare workers). Most cases concerned nurses - 1355 cases (65,8%) and doctors - 212 cases (10,3%). The incidence of COVID-19 in the group of physicians per 10 000 persons entitled to practice ranged from 2.6 in 2020 to 68.3 in 2022, while among nurses and midwives the rates were 7.9 and 194.9, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the picture of occupational diseases in Poland. Therefore, it is very important to understand the key contributions of people working in environments where workers are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 due to the nature of their work, and to promote the recognition of COVID-19 as an occupational disease. Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2023;74(6):479-86.

A cross-national perspective on silicosis: incidence, occupational settings, and trends

Abstract Background: Historically, silicosis is a disease of miners, but the last decade witnessed outbreaks in occupational settings not traditionally associated with silica exposure. Evidence from other countries may ground awareness and control of re-emergent risks. Methods: Incident cases of occupational diseases, ranking and trends were analysed within 2012-2016, respectively within 2007-2016 for silicosis using a cross-national comparative study. Labor force profile and occupation were additional data used to identify similarities and differences between Romania and Israel. The incidence rates for silicosis extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 were compared to national, continental, and global level. Results: Between the two countries, the ratio was 1:1.5 for musculoscheletal disorders, 1:3 for respiratory diseases, 1:4 for noise-induced hearing loss, and 1:10 for silicosis. Regarding silicosis, three major diffences were found, namely: the burden of disease, the trend of incidence (ascending in Israel; descending in Romania), and the occupational setting (coal miner in Romania; artificial stone worker in Israel). Globally, Romania was among countries with high incidence of silicosis in 2017. Conclusion: Silicosis was a national issue of concern at the time, but vigilance should continue, given the severity of this disease and the occurrence of other silica-related diseases.

Pathological features and diagnostic significance of lung biopsy in occupational lung diseases

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological characteristics of occupational lung diseases, to reduce the missed diagnoses and misdiagnoses of the diseases and to help standardize the diagnosis and treatment of these patients. Methods: A total of 4 813 lung biopsy specimens (including 1 935 consultation cases) collected at the Department of Pathology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Nanjing, China from January 1st, 2017 to December 31th, 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 126 cases of occupational lung diseases were confirmed with clinical-radiological-pathological diagnosis. Special staining, PCR and scanning electron microscopy were also used to rule out the major differential diagnoses. Results: The 126 patients with occupational lung diseases included 102 males and 24 females. All of them had a history of exposure to occupational risk factor(s). Morphologically, 68.3% (86/126) of the cases mainly showed pulmonary fibrotic nodules, dust plaque formation or carbon end deposition in pulmonary parenchyma. 16.7% (21/126) of the cases mainly showed welding smoke particle deposition in the alveolar cavity and lung interstitium while 15.1% (19/126) of the cases showed granulomas with fibrous tissue hyperplasia, alveolar protein deposition or giant cell interstitial pneumonia. The qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses of residual dust components in the lung under scanning electron microscope were helpful for the diagnosis of welder's pneumoconiosis and hard metal lung disease. Conclusions: The morphological characteristics of lung biopsy tissue are important reference basis for the clinicopathological diagnosis and differential diagnosis of occupational lung diseases. Recognizing the characteristic morphology and proper use of auxiliary examination are the key to an accurate diagnosis of occupational lung diseases on biopsy specimens.

Analysis on morbidity characteristics of occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021

Objective: To analyze the morbidity characteristics of new occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021 and provide scientific evidence for local prevention and treatment of occupational diseases. Methods: In March 2022, the data of newly diagnosed occupational diseases in Taian City from 2006 to 2021 were obtained from Information Monitoring System for Occupational Diseases and Health Hazards. A descriptive analysis was performed for the distribution of onset age, working years, types of occupational diseases, region, industries, enterprise scale, enterprise economic type and the epidemic trend of occupational diseases. Results: 1362 cases of occupational diseases in 29 species of 9 categories were reported in Taian City from 2006 to 2021, including 1311 males and 51 females. The M (P(25), P(75)) of onset age and working age were 53 (47, 64) and 24.08 (16.56, 29.25) respectively. The top three categories of occupational diseases were occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (1128 cases, 82.82%), occupational otolaryngology and oral diseases (107 cases, 7.86%), and occupational chemical poisoning (70 cases, 5.14%) in sequence. Coal worker's pneumoconiosis, noise deafness, silicosis, poisoning of manganese and its compounds and cataract were the top five species of occupational diseases, which accounted for 69.60% (948/1362), 7.64% (104/1362), 5.58% (76/1362), 3.38% (46/1362) and 2.94% (40/1362) of the total cases of occupational diseases.There were significant differences among the composition of occupational diseases categories reported annually (P<0.001), but the number of occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases was the highest on each year. The number of occupational diseases showed a decreasing trend with the year, and the optimal fitting curve was an growth curve. The number of newly diagnosed occupational diseases was predicted to be 172 cases from 2022 to 2026. Occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases was the main disease in 6 counties. The occupational diseases cases were mainly distributed in Feicheng County and Xintai County, with 520 cases and 504 cases respectively, accounting for 75.18% of occupational diseases cases. The coal mining and washing industry had the largest number of occupational diseases cases, accounting for 73.05% of all occupational diseases cases. 91.85% of occupational diseases cases came from large and medium-sized enterprises. The economic type of enterprises with the most occupational diseases was state-owned enterprises, accounting for 74.52% of occupational diseases cases. Conclusion: The predominant occupational diseases in Taian City are occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases, occupational otolaryngology and oral diseases, occupational chemical poisoning. And the prevention and control of occupational diseases should be strengthened in key industries such as coal mining and washing industry, key enterprises such as state-owned large and medium-sized enterprises.

COVID-19‑associated myocarditis: clinical picture, diagnosis, and assessment of the causal relationship between the disease and occupation in a healthcare worker (clinical case)

One of the most serious complications of the novel coronavirus infection is damage to the cardiovascular system, the main variants of which are acute and chronic myocarditis, as well as decompensation of existing cardiovascular diseases. Clinical manifestations of myocardial damage can be non-specific and blurred, with unknown long-term consequences for the patient. Therapy carried out in COVID-19 patients presents a potential threat to the myocardium. In the Samara Region in 2021–2022, medical workers were diagnosed with 10 cases of chronic occupational diseases associated with the novel coronavirus infection, which caused permanent disability. Of these, four patients were diagnosed with viral myocarditis, and one case was inflammatory dilated cardiomyopathy. The article presents a clinical case of the development of myocarditis associated with the novel coronavirus infection in a healthcare worker, with the establishment of its causal relationship with professional activities. The need for a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, with the mandatory par ticipation of a cardiologist, is emphasized.

Prevalence in Ghanaian health workers

Introduction. Medical institutions in Ghana are in most cases located in adapted buildings that have an unsatisfactory sanitary and technical condition. The government and the administration of institutions fail to pay due attention to the health and safety of medical worker. There is a high level of their morbidity, rehabilitation, preventive measures nor been developed neither implemented. This formed the basis for our study.&#x0D; Materials and methods. The collection of information using a specially designed questionnaire was carried out in online mode. The objects of the study were medical workers, their working conditions, medical institutions in Ghana. A total of seven hundred eighty six employees took part in the survey. Staff responses were analyzed using SPSS to conduct the study.&#x0D; Results. were the In workers of medical institutions in Ghana, leading infectious diseases were malaria, hepatitis B, and tuberculosis, non-infectious morbidity was associated with diseases of the circulatory system. The peak of infectious diseases among medical workers was recorded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the same year, due to limited screening diagnostics, the lowest incidence of non-communicable diseases was noted. Habits such as smoking (6.9%) and excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages (35.8%) are common among healthcare workers in Ghana, which are a high risk of developing non-communicable diseases (smoking – p &lt; 0.001, excessive drinking – p &lt; 0.001 ).&#x0D; Discussion. According to the results of our research, the level of morbidity of medical personnel in medical institutions in Ghana was found to be high. This correlates with data reflecting the situation in Russian healthcare. However, the structure of the causes of temporary disability of the personnel of medical institutions in the two countries differs. The infectious morbidity of medical workers in Ghana has its own characteristics: high rates are noted for HIV infection, parenteral viral hepatitis, tuberculosis, and malaria. Infectious diseases were the leading cause of death for healthcare workers in 2019–2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, both in Ghana and elsewhere. We found that the unified guidelines for labour protection in medical institutions in Ghana have not been developed and are not applied, which significantly distinguishes them from Russian ones.&#x0D; Research limitations. The lack of methods and techniques, equipment, regulations governing the conduct and assessment of working conditions, a system for registering and investigating cases of occupational diseases in Ghana has become a limitation of scientific research. &#x0D; Conclusion. In order to save the lives of patients, manage acceptable working conditions for medical personnel, ensure the efficiency and sustainability of the healthcare system in Ghana, it is recommended to develop and implement a comprehensive, unambiguous occupational health and safety policy, including for healthcare workers.

Occupational multimorbidity in the nickel industry workers

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to obtain new data on the causes, development, prevalence and nature of occupational multimorbidity in the nickel industry workers. We extracted data from the register of occupational disease and intoxication cases in the population of the Murmansk region and the Krasnoyarsk Territory in 2007–2021. In 2007–2021, 24.6% of nickel industry workers with newly diagnosed occupational diseases developed a multimorbid pathology. Its prevalence rose from 0% in 2007 to 83.3% in 2021, and the number of occupational diseases increased by 3.17 times. Two diagnoses were found in 66 (14.9%), three in 22 (5.0%), four in fifteen (3.4%), five in eleven (2.5%), and six in three (0.7%) employees. Respiratory and musculoskeletal diseases were the most prevalent disorders, accounting for 31.5% and 23.0% of cases, respectively. Occupational multimorbidity resulted from the increased combined exposure to occupational hazards, outdated technological processes, and the working conditions in the finished product cleaners and crane operators. Multimorbid diseases can be better prevented with improvement in working conditions and better quality of periodic medical examinations.

Investigation and analysis of late reporting and under-reporting of occupational diseases from 2018 to 2020 in China

Objective: To understand the late reporting and the under-reporting of occupational disease from 2018 to 2020 in China and analyze the causes, so as to provide scientific evidence for improving the quality of occupational disease reports in China, timely acquiring the incidence of occupational disease, and assessing the occupational hazards. Methods: From May to December 2021, A total of 320 occupational disease diagnostic institutions were selected for investigation. The original documents of occupational disease diagnosis cases from 2018 to 2020 were compared with the online reported cases, and late reported and under-reported cases of occupational disease were analyzed. Results: A total of 32207 diagnosed cases from 2018 to 2020 were investigated, including 28934 confirmed cases and 3273 cases without occupational disease. The overall late reported rate and under-reported rate of confirmed cases were 20.2% and 2.1%, respectively. There were significant differences in the rate of late reporting and under-reporting of occupational diseases in different regions and different types of diagnostic institutions (P<0.001). The southwest region had the highest rates of late reporting and under-reporting, 61.6% and 7.9% respectively. The late reported rate of all kinds of occupational diseases was about 15.0%, and the under-reported rate was from 1.5.0% to 5.0%. Conclusion: At present, the phenomenon of late reporting and under-reporting occupational diseases is still obvious. It is necessary to strengthen the inspection of occupational disease reporting, improve the quality of occupational disease reporting, and provide scientific basis for the formulation of occupational disease prevention and control policies.

Factors Related to Occupational Diseases in Smelter Employees PT. Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry Site Morosi

Introduction: In Indonesia, the number of cases of disease events continues to increase every year, there is no increase in PT. Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry that is one of the largest industries in Southeast Sulawesi Province where the number of cases of occupational diseases also continues to increase.&#x0D; Method: Research using a cross-sectional research design. The research location is at PT. Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry Mega industrial area of Konawe district. The sample in this study was 100 employees who worked especially in the smelter unit. To find out the relationship between the dependent variable and the independent variable, it was carried out using the Chi-Square test with a significant level (α= 0.05).&#x0D; Result: This study shows that There is a significant relationship between working hours and the incidence of occupational diseases in employees of PT. Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry p-value = 0.000. There is a relationship between noise and the incidence of occupational diseases in employees of PT. Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry p-value=0.000.&#x0D; Conclusion: Working hours and noice have a relationship with the incidence of occupational diseases at PT. The Dragon of Virtue Nickel Industry.

Estimación económica de una muestra de casos de enfermedad profesional confirmados por el Instituto Nacional de la Seguridad Social atendidos en el Parc de Salut Mar, 2014-2021

Underreporting of occupational diseases (OD) is a social and economic problem, because it has negative consequences for both the welfare of the affected workers and its impact on budgetary planning for the management of health services. We evaluated the healthcare costs of a sample of 13 cases of OD treated at a public hospital in Barcelona between 2014 and 2021, and officially accepted by the National Institute of Social Security (INSS). The total cost of care was €474,859, with an average cost of €36,528 per patient. By diagnostic group, the highest costs were associated with cancer cases, accounting for 79% of the total (€375,068). The findings of this study reflect the economic impact of health care provided by a public hospital to patients with an OD recognized by the INSS.

Occupational diseases in the Republic of Srpska from 2011-2020

Background/Aim: The importance of occupational diseases is due to their influence on workers' quality of life and significant socioeconomic problems for the health sector, employers and the state. Occupational diseases are generally not curable but are preventable diseases, so it is extremely important to develop a good system of detection, registration and prevention. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the occupational incidence analysis. Aim of this study was to assess the incidence of occupational diseases in the Republic of Srpska. Methods: The research was conducted as a cross-sectional study based on the obtained data on occupational diseases in the Republic of Srpska for ten years (from 2011 to 2021). Results: In the observed period, 12 cases of occupational diseases were registered in the Republic of Srpska and the incidence was less than 1/100,000 per year. Occupational diseases were diagnosed in: - agriculture, forestry and fishing; - construction and - healthcare and social welfare. Conclusion: The study showed a low incidence of occupational disease and it was observed that certain industrial sectors were particularly undervalued. The current situation regarding occupational diseases in the Republic of Srpska requires an urgent response from the occupational medicine services and the state. It is necessary to initiate procedures as soon as possible to ensure uniformity in the criteria of diagnosis and records of occupational diseases and revision of the list of occupational diseases by the International Labour Organisation. In the future, it is necessary to conduct additional and more detailed research in the field of occupational diseases.

Epidemiology of occupational diseases in Romania and Israel: silicosis as a national concern

Abstract Background: Historically, silicosis is a disease of miners, but the last decade witnessed outbreaks in occupational settings not traditionally associated with silica exposure. Evidence from other countries may ground awareness and control of re-emergent risks. Methods: Incident cases of occupational diseases, ranking and trends were analysed within the period 2005-2016 using a cross-national comparative study. Labor force profile and occupation were additional data used to identify similarities and differences between Romania and Israel. The incidence rates for silicosis extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 were compared to national, continental, and global level. Results: Between the two countries, the ratio was 1:1 for silicosis, musculoscheletal disorders, hearing loss, and chronic bronchitis. Regarding silicosis, two major diffences were found, namely: the trend of incidence (ascending in Israel; descending in Romania) and the occupational setting (coal miner in Romania; artificial stone worker in Israel). Globally, Romania was among countries with high incidence of silicosis in 2017. Conclusion: Silicosis was a national issue of concern at the time, but vigilance should continue, given the severity of this disease and the occurrence of other silica-related diseases.

Occupational diseases in Poland in 2020

The aim of the study is to analyze the epidemiological situation regarding the occurrence of occupational diseases in Poland in 2020 and to define possible directions for recommendations regarding preventive actions. The cases of occupational diseases identified in accordance with the Polish judicial system and reported to the Central Register of Occupational Diseases in 2020 were analyzed. The analysis took into account disease entities, causal factors, gender, age of patients, exposure period, NACE section and territorial differentiation. Data are presented in absolute numbers and incidence rates per 100 000 employed and 100 000 employed persons. In 2020, 1850 cases of occupational diseases were diagnosed in Poland (11.5 cases per 100 000 employees). The disease entities with the highest incidence were infectious or parasitic diseases, pneumoconiosis, chronic diseases of the voice organ, diseases of the peripheral nervous system, diseases of the locomotor system and hearing loss. Over 90% of the statements concerned people >45 years of age. Most of the identified occupational diseases arose after at least 10 years of work in exposure to a harmful factor, and 73.9% of cases concerned people with over 20 years of work experience in exposure. The epidemiological situation in the field of occupational diseases in our country indicates a disturbing phenomenon, which is the persistence of a high level of pneumoconiosis of hard coal miners. The reflection of the effects of the pandemic in the COVID-19 incidence statistics as an occupational disease in 2020 is small. It is expected that the number of these cases will increase sharply in the coming years. Med Pr. 2022;73(5):427-33.