Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to G De Francesco.
Nimesulide has been tested by the Authors on a group of 40 adults patients of both sexes that had undergone oral surgery. After careful clinical observation it was established that this drug has an excellent analgesic effect and is also effective as an antiedemigen and antiflogistic therapy. Furthermore the total tolerability of Nimesulide was established after noting the absence of gastroenteric or allergy symptoms.
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At present no official data are available for those occupational accidents which, according to current law, are not subject to notification to the Italian National Institute for Insurance of Occupational Accidents (INAIL) and which are conventionally called "minor" accidents. They can be divided into accidents with prognosis from 1 to 3 days (franchises) and accidents which do not cause absence from work (medications). The already mentioned lack of data, which is not confined to Italy, is reflected in the small number of articles published in Italian and international journals. Also information regarding the possible relationships between "minor" accidents and the life habits of injured workers, are rare. The aim of this study was to provide detailed data on the characteristics of the different kinds of occupational accidents occurring in a food factory in Apulia, southern Italy, from 1985 to 1994, as well as to verify whether any relationship existed between the different types of occupational accidents and the consumption of cigarettes and alcohol by injured workers. The company's accident register yielded data on injuries which caused absence from work; the nursing service register provided information about accidents which did not determine absence from work; personal health documents gave details of worker life habits; and the company pay roll showed the amount of "worked hours". "Minor" accidents represented 70% of all accidents occurring during the ten year period studied. "Blue collars" had more frequent and serious occupational injuries, in comparison with "technical employees". "Minor" accidents, and especially "medications", occurred more frequently during one-shift work than during three-shift work. As work seniority increased, the number of "major" accidents decreased and number of accidents without absence from work rose. Contusions were the most frequent lesions and were responsible for the majority of the 3 kinds of accidents. "Medications"" together with injuries notified to INAIL ("major" accidents), mostly involved upper limbs; "franchises" were mostly head interested. About 50% of all causes of occupational accidents were mainly associated with unsafe environmental and working situations, whereas the remaining 50% were mainly associated with unsafe behaviour by workers. Heavy smokers showed a higher frequency of "major" accidents. As alcohol consumption rose, she did number of accidents with absence from work. "Minor" accidents, particularly the "medicated" ones, represented the greatest part of occupational injuries. All the considered causes and circumstances contributed to determine the different kinds of accidents. Thereby, it appears necessary for prevention purposes to obtain information about any kind of injury in the different manufacturing sectors. Finally, it seems dutiful to inform workers about the relationships between life habits and occupational accidents.
Current legislation establishes the general methods and standards of judgement concerning fitness of workers to perform particular jobs. The object of this study was to verify particular criteria and methods that, in observance of the law, allow the physician to maintain in productive activity workers with chronic disease or permanent consequences of industrial accidents in Apulia, Southern Italy. In accordance with the law, 156 workers and their work environment are regularly under surveillance. In the last few years it was possible to accurately diagnose all diseases that may be involved in particular work fitness checks. 3 workers suffered the permanent consequences of very serious labour accidents amputation of II, III, IV fingers of the right hand; a slight post-traumatic shortening (shrinkage) of the right femur; tympanic membrane perforation). 7 workers suffered from non-work related disease (substitution of aortic valve, allergic asthma, virus B chronic hepatitis, chronic glomerulonephritis, replacement of right knee, rheumatoid arthritis, thrombosis of the retinal central vein without a vision reduction). The criteria for an "fitness judgement" are: an accurate diagnosis and evaluation of residual functional ability, analysis of the original job, with an investigation in the field, and break down into the single operations in order to assess all work-related risks (concerning health, safety and physical resources), and evaluation of work organization per job. It was thus possible to define particular adjustments to the original job, so as to be compatible with the current physical conditions the workers. Workers, factory directors and union officers accepted these particular criteria and standard of "work fitness judgement, which made it possible to apply them in practice with consequent reinstatement of workers in productive activity.
The aim of the study was to establish whether changes occur in respiratory function, particularly mucociliary clearance, among second fusion smeltery workers. The research covered 93 male smelters employed in steel forming and casting and 116 male workers of an electric power station, considered as non-exposed. Physiological, pathological and occupational histories of all subjects under study were available. An ECCS respiratory symptoms questionnaire was administered to all subjects ad the two groups also underwent a general medical examination, a spirometry and a chest X-ray. During the medical examination sputum was collected from the subjects to measure mucus transport rate on frog palate, expressed as Normalised Frog Palate Transport Rate (NFPTR). For the environmental research, dust, fumes and gas samplings were taken either at a fixed station or by means of personal dosimeters. Environmental research revealed very low concentrations of respiratory irritants (total dust: 0.2-6.8 mg/m3; respirable dust: 0.1-4.9 mg/m3; total silica: < 2-15.5%; respirable silica: < 0.004-0.3 mg/m3; iron: 0.008-0.085 mg/m3; chromium and manganese: < 0.001 mg/m3; fumes and gases: well below the TLV. The two groups were homogeneous with regard to age and smoking habits. Exposed workers showed rales, dyspnoea and spontaneous phlegm more frequently than non-exposed workers. NFPTR alterations were checked in 49 out of 81 exposed and in 18 out of 81 non-exposed subjects (chi squared = 22.9; p < 0.001). Stratification of the results according to smoking habits further confirmed the strong association between occupational exposure and NFPTR alterations. Smelters showed significantly lower mean NFPTR values compared to non-exposed subjects; also, the mean value of NFPTR in the exposed was below 0.70, which is considered the lowest individual limit in normal subjects. The only variable which explains a large part of the variability of NFPTR is past work in a smeltery rather than in an electric power station. The spirometries showed that only the mean PEF values were significantly lower among the exposed. Stratified analysis of the results according to smoking habits in the two groups revealed a close association between smeltery work and reduction of PEF to under 80% of the ECCS 1983 theoretical values, independently of smoking habits. We also compared the mean PEF values, both as measured values and as percent values of the ECCS 1983 theoretical values, stratified for occupational exposure and smoking; the results again showed that differences between these mean values were mainly due to current or past work in the foundry.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Mucus transportability impairment can prolong the permanence of occupational inhalable noxae within ciliated airways. A reliable, non-invasive indicator of mucus transportability is the Normalized Frog Palate Transport Rate (NFPTR). The aim of this 3-year prospective study was to compare NFPTR between a group of 166 foundry workers (E) and a group of 133 power plant workers (NE). In the first and third years of the study, workers underwent: clinical examination, spirometry, NFPTR, chest radiography. In both plants, environmental concentrations of respiratory irritants were well below the limits set by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists. Both groups were homogeneous for age and smoking habits. Mean NFPTR was significantly lower in E than in NE in the first and third years of the study, and in smokers in comparison with non-smokers, at the end of the follow-up. NFPTR impairment was significantly associated with occupational exposure in the first and third years of the study. In the third year, a decline in NFPTR was associated with exposure, smoking habits, FVC and FEV1/FVC.100. At the end of the study, the means of FVC, FEV1 and PEF were significantly lower in E. No cases of pneumoconiosis were observed. In this study, low doses of foundry respiratory irritants were associated with impairment of mucus transportability; the consequent slowing of mucociliary clearance increased internal doses of foundry airborne noxae.