Hadadi A, Afhami Sh, Kharbakhsh M, Hajabdoulbaghi M, Rasoolinejad M, Emadi H, Esmaeelpour N, Sadeghi A, Ghorashi L,
Volume 65, Issue 9 (12-2007)
Abstract
Background: Health care workers (HCWs) are at substantial risk of acquiring bloodborne pathogen infections through contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials. The main objectives of this study were to determine the epidemiological characteristics of occupational exposure to blood/body fluids, related risk factors of such exposure, and hepatitis B vaccination status among HCWs.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2004 to June 2005 at three university hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Using a structured interview, we questioned HCWs who had the potential for high-risk exposure during the year preceding the study.
Results: With a total number of 467 exposures (52.9%) and an annual rate of 0.5 exposures per HCW, 391 (43%) of the 900 HCWs had at least one occupational exposure to blood and other infected fluids during the previous year. The highest rate of occupational exposure was found among nurses (26%) and the housekeeping staff (20%). These exposures most commonly occurred in the medical and emergency wards (23% and 21%, respectively). The rate of exposure in HCWs with less than five years of experience was 54%. Percutaneous injury was reported in 280 participants (59%). The history of hepatitis B vaccination was positive in 85.93% of the exposed HCWs. Sixty-one percent had used gloves at the time of exposure. Hand washing was reported in 91.4% and consultation with an infectious disease specialist in 29.4%. There were 72 exposures to HIV, HBV and HCV exposure to HBV was the most common. In 237 of the enrolled cases, the source was unknown. Job type, years of experience and hospital ward were the risk factors for exposure.
Conclusion: Education, protective barriers and vaccination are important in the prevention of viral transmission among HCWs.
Gholamreza Pouryaghoub , Ramin Mehrdad , Soussan Salehpour , Mehran Shahryari ,
Volume 72, Issue 2 (5-2014)
Abstract
Background: Cancer is the third cause of death in Iran. Approximately 5-10% of all human cancers are thought to be caused by occupational exposure to carcinogens. Dif-fuse mesotheliomas of the peritoneum and pleura are considered "signal tumors," or pa-thognomonic of exposure to asbestos. There is also evidence that nonasbestos agents can induce malignant mesotheliomas. So, we need to study the history of exposure to asbestos in patients suffering from mesothelima to determine relationship between them in Iran, especially in occupational settings.
Methods: We received the data of 272 mesothelioma's patients having been registered in 1385 to 1389 in Cancer Bureau, in Ministry of Health. One hundred fifty four of them had telephone number. Finally we could interview with 60 families and gathered data of patient's history of occupation, cigarette smoking and residence place interred in the designed questionnaire. Then we brought out the variants of age, sex, the province of birth place and the involved organs from the data of Cancer Bureau. Analysis of frequency of variants was carried out and compared once in 272 patients being registered in Cancer Bureau and then in the interviewed 60 patients.
Results: Distribution of age, sex, the province of birth and living place and the involved organ were similar in cancer registry's data and the interviewed patients. Distribution of cigarette smoking and exposure to asbestos in the interviewed patients were 28% and 63% respectively. Occupational distribution of interviewed patients consisted of con-struction workers 20%, oil company employees 13.3%, administrative staff 8.3% and drivers 6.7%.
Conclusion: The results of our study specified the jobs with high risks of exposure to asbestos and approved the relationship between the exposure to asbestos and the inci-dence of mesothelioma in Iran, according to researches in other countries. So the con-sumption of asbestos in Iran, like 20 other countries in the world is necessary to be banned.
Younes Mehrifar , Hamideh Pirami , Somayeh Farhang Dehghan ,
Volume 76, Issue 2 (5-2018)
Abstract
Background: Welding generates complex metal aerosols, inhalation of which is linked to adverse health effects among welders. Exposure to manganese (Mn) fume in welding processes can have a harmful effect on welders’ health. Long-term, high-level exposure to Mn is associated with impaired central nervous system (CNS) function. The present study aims to investigate relationship between exposure to manganese in welding fumes and incidence of migraine headache symptoms.
Methods: This cross-sectional analytic study was conducted in March 2017 in an Iron Smelting Industry. Forty welders were selected as the exposure group and thirty-five employees were selected from the administrative unit as the control group. Data related to symptoms of migraine headache were collected using with Ahvaz migraine questionnaire (AMQ). Air samples were collected on mixed cellulose ester membrane filters in personal air samplers and then analyzed using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) (NIOSH Method 7300).
Results: The average concentration of welder’s exposure to manganese was 7.24±2.91 mg/m3, which is very higher (37 times) than the occupational exposure limit (Threshold limit value-time-weighted average). There was no significant difference between the mean age and work experience of the two groups (P<0.05). Comparison of the mean of migraine headache symptoms in the two groups of welders and office workers also showed that the frequency of these symptoms among welders was significantly higher than those reported by administrative staff (P<0.05). The correlation between the frequency of symptoms of migraine headache and the concentration of manganese in the air of the welders’ respiratory area was statistically significant (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Frequency of migraine headache symptoms was higher among welders compared to control group. Statistically the significant relationship was found between airborne Manganese concentration and occurrence of migraine headache; however, a conclusive conclusion is based on more comprehensive studies with larger sample size.
