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A case of chronic myeloid leukemia in a diagnostic radiographer.

Chulyong PARK ; Sungyeul CHOI ; Dohyung KIM ; Jaechan PARK ; Saerom LEE

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2014;26(1):54-54. doi:10.1186/s40557-014-0054-8

BACKGROUND: Occupational radiation exposure causes certain types of cancer, specifically hematopoietic diseases like leukemia. In Korea, radiation exposure is monitored and recorded by law, and guidelines for compensation of radiation-related diseases were implemented in 2001. However, thus far, no occupation-related disease was approved for compensation under these guidelines. Here, we report the first case of radiation-related disease approved by the compensation committee of the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service, based on the probability of causation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old man complained of chronic fatigue and myalgia for several days. He was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia. The patient was a diagnostic radiographer at a diagnostic radiation department and was exposed to ionizing radiation for 21 years before chronic myeloid leukemia was diagnosed. His job involved taking simple radiographs, computed tomography scans, and measuring bone marrow density. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first approved case report using quantitative assessment of radiation. More approved cases are expected based on objective radiation exposure data and the probability of causation. We need to find a resolution to the ongoing demands for appropriate compensation and improvements to the environment at radiation workplaces.
Bone Marrow ; Compensation and Redress ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Leukemia ; Leukemia, Myelogenous, Chronic, BCR-ABL Positive* ; Middle Aged ; Myalgia ; Occupational Diseases ; Radiation, Ionizing ; Workers' Compensation

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The association between long working hours and the metabolic syndrome: evidences from the 5th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 2010 and 2012.

Jae Uk JEONG ; Man Joong JEON ; Joon SAKONG

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2014;26(1):53-53. doi:10.1186/s40557-014-0053-9

OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the association between the working hours of Korean employees and the metabolic syndrome and the effects of long working hours on metabolic syndrome based on the 5th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2012). METHODS: Based on the 5th Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010-2012), 4,456 Korean employees without shift work, aged over 15, who work 30 hours or more per week were targeted in this study. The association between the general characteristics, including age, smoking, alcohol drinking, exercise, and the metabolic syndrome criteria defined by International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and weekly working hours were analyzed. In addition, the association between weekly working hours and the metabolic syndrome of the subjects stratified by gender was analyzed through multiple logistic regression analyses and generalized linear mixed model after adjusting the general characteristics. RESULTS: In the results of stratified analysis by gender, in male subjects, in comparison with the 30-39 weekly working hours group, there were no significant adjusted odds ratios to the other working hours groups. In female subjects, in comparison with the 30-39 weekly working hours group, there were no significant adjusted odds ratios to the other working hours groups. In addition, no trend associations were observed among weekly working hour groups in both stratified genders. CONCLUSION: No significant differences in prevalence of metabolic syndrome of the subjects stratified by gender were found according to weekly increasing working hours. However, due to some limitations of this study, further prospective studies may be necessary for verification.
Alcohol Drinking ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking

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Ju Jong LEE ; Hyun Jey MOON ; Kyung Jae LEE ; Joo Ja KIM

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2014;26(1):51-51. doi:10.1186/s40557-014-0051-y

OBJECTIVES: This study assessed fatigue and its association with emotional labor and non-standard working hours among hotel workers. METHODS: A structured self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 1,320 employees of five hotels located in Seoul. The questionnaire survey included questions concerning the participants' sociodemographics, health-related behaviors, job-related factors, emotional labor, and fatigue. Fatigue was assessed using the Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS). Multiple logistic regression modeling was used to determine the associations between fatigue and emotional labor. RESULTS: Among male workers, there was a significant association between fatigue and both emotional disharmony (OR=5.52, 95% CI=2.35-12.97) and emotional effort (OR=3.48, 95% CI=1.54-7.86). These same associations were seen among the female workers (emotional disharmony: OR=6.91, 95% CI=2.93-16.33; emotional effort: OR=2.28, 95% CI=1.00-5.16). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that fatigue is associated with emotional labor and, especially, emotional disharmony among hotel workers. Therefore, emotional disharmony management would prove helpful for the prevention of fatigue.
Fatigue* ; Female ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Seoul

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Serum prostate-specific antigen levels and type of work in tire manufacturing workers.

Soo Hyeon KIM ; Keun Ho JANG ; Won Ju PARK ; Do Hyeong KWON ; Won Yang KANG ; Hyeong Min LIM ; Jai Dong MOON

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2014;26(1):50-50. doi:10.1186/s40557-014-0050-z

OBJECTIVES: This study measures serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in tire-manufacturing workers, and attempts to find occupational or non-occupational factors that related to their PSA levels. METHODS: A total of 1,958 healthy male workers (1,699 were production workers and 259 were office workers) took PSA measurement for analysis. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, body mass index, hypertension, regular exercise, alcohol drinking and smoking, which were significantly related to serum PSA levels or known related factors of serum PSA levels, the geometric mean PSA levels were significantly high in the office workers (p = 0.017), the older age group (p < 0.001), the group with hypertension (p = 0.046) and the group of individuals that do not exercise regularly (p = 0.015) and the office workers were more likely to have a serum PSA level of > or =4.0 (OR 7.73, 95% CI: 2.78-21.46) or 2.5 ng/mL (OR 2.74, 95% CI: 1.49-5.08). After stratifying by age and adjusting aforementioned covariates, office workers 50 years of age and older had the significantly higher geometric mean PSA levels (p = 0.017) and were more likely to have a serum PSA level of > or =4.0 ng/mL (OR 12.90, 95% CI: 3.65-45.64) or 2.5 ng/mL (OR 3.90, 95% CI: 1.64-9.25) than production workers 50 years of age and older. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that serum PSA levels were significantly higher among the group with hypertension or the group of individuals that did not exercise regularly or group of office workers who were considered to have lesser physical activities.
Alcohol Drinking ; Body Mass Index ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Male ; Motor Activity ; Occupations ; Prostate-Specific Antigen* ; Sedentary Lifestyle ; Smoke ; Smoking

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Acute liver injury in two workers exposed to chloroform in cleanrooms: a case report.

Young Joong KANG ; Jungho AHN ; Yang In HWANG

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2014;26(1):49-49. doi:10.1186/s40557-014-0049-5

We report 2 cases of hepatotoxicity in cleanroom workers due to high retained chloroform air concentrations. The women, aged 34 and 41 years, who had been working in a medical endoscopic device manufacturer as cleanroom workers for approximately 40-45 days suffered severe liver damage. Two measured time-weighted averages of the chloroform concentration in the air in the cleanroom were 82.74 and 64.24 ppm, which are more than 6 times the legal occupational exposure limit in Korea. Only 7% of the cleanroom air was newly introduced from outside. The clinical courses of these cases and workplace inspection, led us to conclude that both cases of hepatotoxicity were caused by chloroform exposure.
Chloroform* ; Drug-Induced Liver Injury ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Liver* ; Occupational Exposure

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Risk factors of musculoskeletal symptoms in university hospital nurses.

Eunkwang RYU ; Byeongjin YE ; Youngil YI ; Jungwon KIM

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2014;26(1):47-47. doi:10.1186/s40557-014-0047-7

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate musculoskeletal symptom prevalence in university hospital nurses and explore the relation between musculoskeletal symptom prevalence and work related factors. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was conducted with 620 nurses in a university hospital to look into the characters of responsibility and musculoskeletal symptom prevalence. The questionnaire respondents numbered 534, so the response rate was 86.1%. Among the respondents, three who gave insincere answers were excluded. The final study population was 531 respondents. ANSI Z-365 checklist was applied to look into ergonomic characteristics, and Korean Occupational Stress Scale Short Form was employed to measure job stress. RESULTS: In the case of the whole body, symptom prevalence amounted to 70.8%. Regarding each body region, shoulder symptom prevalence accounted for the highest, or 44.8%, waist 40.7%, and neck 33.3% in order. According to multiple logistic regression analysis, in the case of the whole body, the group with a high ANSI checklist grade had odds ratio of 3.59 (95% CI 1.48 ~ 8.76), and the group with high job stress had 3.19 (95% CI 2.01 ~ 5.07). CONCLUSION: Regarding the occupational factors related to musculoskeletal symptoms of university hospital nurses, it was found that ANSI Z-365 checklist high risk group, total job tenure, department, shiftworks, and job stress had high relation with musculoskeletal symptoms. It is necessary to find an ergonomic solution and a stress reduction plan to prevent musculoskeletal disease.
Body Regions ; Checklist ; Data Collection ; Logistic Models ; Musculoskeletal Diseases ; Neck ; Occupations ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors* ; Shoulder

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Clement C AZODO ; Ejike B EZEJA

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2015;27(1):10-. doi:10.1186/s40557-015-0060-5

OBJECTIVE: Daily clinical activities in dental operatory expose dental surgeons to varied forms of ocular events. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence and pattern of ocular splashes and foreign bodies among dental surgeons in Nigeria. METHODS: This questionnaire-based cross-sectional of dental surgeons in Southern Nigeria was conducted between September 2010 and August 2011. The information elicited were demography, experience and type of ocular event, implicated dental procedure and action taken. RESULTS: Of the 185 studied, 148 of them responded. Of these 148 respondents, 56 (37.8%) reported foreign body, 18 (12.2%) splash, 33 (22.3%) both foreign body and splash while 41 (27.7%) reported no ocular event. It therefore means that the overall prevalence of ocular events among the respondents was 107 (72.3%). The prevalence of ocular events was significantly associated with age (p = 0.014), years of practice (p = 0.033) and safety eye goggle use (p = 0.023). The main dental procedures implicated in the ocular events among the respondents were scaling 77 (72.0%), tooth/cavity preparation 17 (15.9%), polishing 11 (10.3%) and forcep tooth extraction 10 (9.3%). The major implicated aetiological agents in the ocular events were calculus 74 (69.2%), saliva 29 (27.1%), mixed blood & saliva 19 (17.8%), tooth particles 15 (14.0%) and blood 9 (8.4%). The predominant action taken by the respondents was to rinse the eye under running water 89 (83.2%). CONCLUSION: Ocular splash and foreign body events are high among dental surgeons in Nigeria. Age, years of practice and safety eye goggles wear were also found to be associated with ocular events. Eye safety awareness is therefore deemed a necessity for dental surgeon in Southern Nigeria.
Calculi ; Data Collection ; Demography ; Eye Protective Devices ; Foreign Bodies ; Nigeria ; Prevalence ; Running ; Saliva ; Surgical Instruments ; Tooth ; Tooth Extraction ; Water

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Risk assessment of gastric cancer associated with asbestosis: a case report.

Soo Hong PARK ; Dong Mug KANG ; Bon Hak KOO ; Young Ki KIM ; Jong Eun KIM

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2015;27(1):9-. doi:10.1186/s40557-015-0061-4

BACKGROUND: The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies asbestos as belonging to Carcinogen Group 2A for gastric cancer. We herein report a case of gastric cancer associated with asbestosis and describe the work-related and risk assessments of asbestos exposure for gastric cancer. CASE PRESENTATION: The 66-year-old male patient in our case worked in asbestos spinning factories. His level of cumulated asbestos fiber exposure was estimated to be 38.0-71.0 f-yr/cc. Thus, the Excess Life Cancer Risk for lung cancer associated with asbestos exposure was 9,648x10-5, almost 9,600 times the value recommended by the United States of America Environmental Protection Agency (1 x 10-5). The relative risk of developing lung cancer for this patient was more than 25 f-yr/cc, a well-known criterion for doubling the risk of lung cancer. CONCLUSION: The patient's exposure to high-dose asbestos was sufficient to increase his risk of gastric cancer because as the risk of lung cancer increased, the risk of gastric cancer was due to increase as well. Therefore, occupational asbestos fiber exposure might be associated with gastric cancer in this case.
Aged ; Americas ; Asbestos ; Asbestosis* ; Humans ; International Agencies ; Lung Neoplasms ; Male ; Risk Assessment* ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Textiles ; United States ; United States Environmental Protection Agency

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Effect of maternal job strain during pregnancy on infant neurodevelopment by gender at 6 and 12 months: Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study.

Eunjeong KIM ; Hyesook PARK ; Yun Chul HONG ; Mina HA ; Yangho KIM ; Bo Eun LEE ; Eun Hee HA

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2015;27(1):8-. doi:10.1186/s40557-015-0059-y

OBJECTIVES: Limited evidence is available regarding the association between prenatal job strain and infant neurodevelopment. Most studies used stress indicators other than job strain to explain the relationship between prenatal maternal stress and child development. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between maternal job strain during pregnancy and neurodevelopment in infancy. METHODS: Mothers and Children's Environmental Health (MOCEH) study, an on-going prospective birth cohort study, has been conducted in South Korea since 2006. Job strain during pregnancy was measured using Korean version of Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ). Infant neurodevelopment was assessed using Korean Bayley Scale of Infant Development II (K-BSID-II) at 6 and 12 months of age. A total of 343 mother-child pairs that completed JCQ and K-BSID-II more than once were included. Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) defined in the K-BSID-II were used as outcome variables. RESULTS: Compared to infants from mothers with low job strain, significant (p < 0.05) decreases in PDI were found in infants from mothers with active and passive job at 6 months of age. After stratification by infant sex, boys in the high strain group had a lower MDI score than boys in the low job strain group at 12 months. On the other hand, girls in the high strain and active groups had higher MDI scores than girls in the low job strain group at 12 months. PDI at 12 months also showed different results by sex. Boys in the high strain and passive job groups had lower PDI scores than boys in the low job strain group. However, such difference was not observed in girls. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that prenatal job strain affects infant neurodevelopment in a gender-dependent manner.
Child ; Child Development ; Cognition ; Cohort Studies ; Environmental Health* ; Female ; Hand ; Humans ; Infant* ; Korea ; Mothers* ; Parturition ; Pregnancy* ; Prospective Studies

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Public-health impact of outdoor air pollution for 2nd air pollution management policy in Seoul metropolitan area, Korea.

Jong Han LEEM ; Soon Tae KIM ; Hwan Cheol KIM

Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2015;27(1):7-. doi:10.1186/s40557-015-0058-z

OBJECTIVES: Air pollution contributes to mortality and morbidity. We estimated the impact of outdoor air pollution on public health in Seoul metropolitan area, Korea. Attributable cases of morbidity and mortality were estimated. METHODS: Epidemiology-based exposure-response functions for a 10 microg/m3 increase in particulate matter (PM(2.5) and PM(10)) were used to quantify the effects of air pollution. Cases attributable to air pollution were estimated for mortality (adults > or = 30 years), respiratory and cardiovascular hospital admissions (all ages), chronic bronchitis (all ages), and acute bronchitis episodes (< or =18 years). Environmental exposure (PM(2.5) and PM(10)) was modeled for each 3 km x 3 km. RESULTS: In 2010, air pollution caused 15.9% of total mortality or approximately 15,346 attributable cases per year. Particulate air pollution also accounted for: 12,511 hospitalized cases of respiratory disease; 20,490 new cases of chronic bronchitis (adults); 278,346 episodes of acute bronchitis (children). After performing the 2nd Seoul metropolitan air pollution management plan, the reducible death number associated with air pollution is 14,915 cases per year in 2024. We can reduce 57.9% of death associated with air pollution. CONCLUSION: This assessment estimates the public-health impacts of current patterns of air pollution. Although individual health risks of air pollution are relatively small, the public-health consequences are remarkable. Particulate air pollution remains a key target for public-health action in the Seoul metropolitan area. Our results, which have also been used for economic valuation, should guide decisions on the assessment of environmental health-policy options.
Air Pollution* ; Bronchitis ; Bronchitis, Chronic ; Environmental Exposure ; Korea* ; Mortality ; Particulate Matter ; Public Health ; Seoul*

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