Lyme disease: a review for the occupational physician
Article Abstract:
Lyme disease is an illness that affects many bodily systems and often masquerades as other diseases, which at times makes diagnosis difficult. Although it is now the most frequent spirochete disease (Borrelia burgdorferi) that is passed by a vector, the deer tick, its impact upon occupational medicine has not been explored. The disease was first described in a population of Lyme, Connecticut in 1974 and associated with a spirochete, a spiral-shaped microorganism, in the early 1980s. The deer tick has a two-year life cycle during which the ticks only feed once at each of their major stages of life: larva, nymph, adult. The ticks feed primarily on the white-footed mouse and the white-tailed deer, which acts as a reservoir for the spirochetes, and from which uninfected ticks can in turn become infected. During the feeding cycle the tick becomes attached to the host, which could be cattle, horses, dogs or humans, and remains attached for two to four days. It is apparently during this extended period of attachment that the spirochete can infect the host; a simple tick bite which is not accompanied by this prolonged feeding period may not be sufficient to convey the spirochete. Within three to 30 days of the time of the feeding, the infected patient will develop a bright red skin rash called erythema chronicum migrans, which resembles a bulls-eye with a pale center. The infection sometimes goes unrecognized and may be associated with fever, fatigue, headache, nausea, and flu-like symptoms. In later stages, the patient may develop neurologic or cardiac problems such as irregular heart rhythm, which may require the placement of a pacemaker. The diagnosis can be achieved by blood tests, including enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA).
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1989
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Subclinical neuropsychiatric effects of chronic low-level solvent exposure in US paint manufacturers
Article Abstract:
Painters' syndrome, also called neurasthenia, is characterized by headaches, fatigue, memory problems, difficulty in concentration, depression, and similar problems. This has been recognized in workers exposed to a number of solvents and is classified as an occupational disease in Scandinavia. However, examination of past research has suggested that inappropriate experimental design and failure to account for factors such as age, education, and intelligence have been responsible for an erroneous conclusion, namely that chronic solvent exposure causes organic, or structural, brain damage. The effect of solvent exposure on 187 male paint factory workers has been studied, taking into account these factors. Data from monitoring of personal solvent exposure were available and used rather than rough estimates of years worked in the solvent-containing environment. No association between extent of solvent exposure and symptoms characteristic of painters' syndrome was found. Signs of depression were, however, related to exposure, but it is possible that these may have been more related to life events such as divorce or money problems. No signs of clinical, or severe, depression were found. Solvent exposure may somehow have led to decreased ability to deal with such stresses, but the results do not support conclusions from previous studies, and suggest that exposure to solvent levels found with this group of US workers did not predispose them to develop painters' syndrome. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1990
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Filling the void of well-trained occupational medicine physicians: a challenge for the 1990s
Article Abstract:
The field of occupational medicine is expanding significantly, and the need for qualified physicians in this field is increasing. At present there is a serious shortage of trained specialists in this field. Many medical positions that should be filled by certified occupational medicine specialists are being filled by physicians without any specialized training in the field, a situation that compromises the quality of the health care provided. The shortage is exacerbated by the lack of adequate occupational medicine training in many medical schools. It has been recommended that qualified physicians be drawn to occupational medicine through formal training and board certification. This would be accomplished by an educational program directed at medical students to make them aware of the field and of the opportunities it has to offer. The program would consist of direct mailings, speakers, increased publication in general medical journals and representation at national medical conferences such as the AMA convention. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1990
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