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Biomedical subjects

G Hubert

Publications and source records attributed to G Hubert.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Respiratory symptoms and bronchial responsiveness among cleaning and disinfecting workers in the food industry.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the levels of exposure to nitrogen trichloride (NCl3) and aldehydes among cleaning and disinfecting workers in the atmosphere of food industry plants during cleaning and disinfecting operations, and to examine how they relate to irritant and chronic respiratory symptoms-which are indices of pulmonary function-and bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) to methacholine. METHODS: 175 exposed workers (M = 149; F = 26) recruited from 17 enterprises of the food industry (8 cattle, pig, and ovine slaughterhouses, 8 fowl slaughterhouses, and 1 catering firm) and 70 non-exposed workers (M = 52; F = 18) were examined. Concentration levels of NCl3 and aldhehydes were measured by personal sampling. Symptoms were assessed by means of a questionnaire and the methacholine bronchial challenge (MBC) test using an abbreviated method. Subjects were labelled MBC+ if forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) fell by 20% or more. The linear dose-response slope (DRS) was calculated as the percentage fall in FEV1 at last dose divided by the total dose administered. RESULTS: 277 air samples were taken in the 17 food industry plants. For a given plant and in a given workshop, the actual concentrations of chloramines, aldehydes, and quaternary ammonium compounds were measured with personal samplers during the different steps of the procedures. For each cleaner, a total exposure index Sigma was calculated. A statistically significant concentration-response relationship was found between eye, nasal, and throat symptoms of irritation--but not chronic respiratory symptoms--and exposure levels or exposure duration. No relation was found between BHR and exposure. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that cleaning and disinfecting workers in the food industry are at risk of developing eye, nasal, and throat irritation symptoms. Although NCl3 exposure does not seem to carry a risk of developing permanent BHR, the possibility of transient BHR cannot be ruled out entirely.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Emergency ambulance management of acute pain in children: a national survey].

OBJECTIVES: To assess the knowledge and skills of physicians staffing mobile intensive care units (emergency ambulances) in the management of severe acute pain in children. METHODS: Questionnaire-based telephone interviews with emergency physicians of all urban emergency ambulance services (n=360). This questionnaire covered knowledge of procedures for assessment of pain, definition of severe acute pain and its, treatment, availability of morphine and similar drugs, local guidelines and the physicians' opinion of the national guidelines. RESULTS: Physicians from all but one ambulance service responded. Forty-nine percent were unaware of the French Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care guidelines, and 63% had no local guidelines. Eight percent defined severe acute pain correctly and 10% defined the therapeutic objective correctly. Forty-seven percent used morphine (which was available for 93%), and 7% and 13% respectively followed guidelines about doses and waiting periods between administrations. CONCLUSION: This survey showed inadequate knowledge about the management (assessment and treatment) of severe acute pain in children in prehospital emergency settings. Training in this area is essential.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Simultaneous sampling of peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide in workplace atmospheres.

The use of peroxyacetic acid (PAA) in the disinfection processes in the food industry or for medical purposes is increasing. As it is the product of the reaction of acetic acid (AA) and hydrogen peroxide (HP) and coexists with them, and given the fact that the chemical properties of these two substances are not very different from PAA, the sampling and analysis of this substance in working atmospheres is difficult. A specific sampling device was developed. It is composed of: (i) a cassette with quartz fibre filters impregnated with titanium oxysulfate hydrate for the sampling of HP followed by; (ii) a tube filled with silica gel soaked with methyl p-tolylsulfoxide for the sampling of PAA. The analysis of this silica gel was performed by liquid chromatography with UV detection of the methyl p-sulfone generated by the sampling of PAA. The conservation of the sampling media (before and after sampling) and its efficiency were also checked. From the results of sampling campaigns performed in various workplaces, the relative contributions of PAA, AA and HP to an exposure index, taking into account the atmospheric concentrations and the threshold limit values, were established. This calculation shows that the simultaneous determination of PAA and HP, which the method presented in this paper allows, provides a fairly good estimation of the exposure.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed2004

[National survey of emergency management of acute pain in prehospital setting].

OBJECTIVES: Assessment of skill of physicians staffed Mobile Intensive Care Units (MICU) in severe acute pain (SAP) management. METHODS: This study was conducted with a phone questionnaire addressed to emergency physicians of all metropolitan Smur (N =360). This questionnaire included medical teaching, professional position, means of severe acute pain assessment and definition of SAP, treatment, analgesic drug availability, locals guidelines and personal assessment of national guidelines were studied. RESULTS: Exhaustivity was more than 99% (359/360). Eighty percent of physicians were specialized in emergency care, 8% were anaesthesiologists (or intensivists), 78% worked in emergency department and 76% were full time. Forty nine percent of physicians did not know French Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care guidelines and 63% did not have locals analgesics guidelines. To define SAP, Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) or Numeric Scale (NS) >6/10 were mentioned only by 17%. Therapeutic efficiency was assessed and defined by VAS or NS <3/10 by 14%. Morphine was available in 90% of MICU, fentanyl in 79% and nalbuphine in 64%. Morphine was used in first intention by 71% of physicians. Guidelines about doses and waiting periods between 2 administrations were followed respectively by 6% and 28%. Ninety percent of physicians combined at least two treatments, 58 % combined at least three and 39%, at least four. CONCLUSION: This survey showed a low knowledge about severe acute pain management in out-of-hospital setting, both for pain assessment and treatment. There were few locals guidelines to overcome this deficiency. A training work is essential to improve care of acute pain in out-of-hospital setting.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1998

Respiratory symptoms and bronchial responsiveness in lifeguards exposed to nitrogen trichloride in indoor swimming pools.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the levels of exposure to nitrogen trichloride (NCl3) in the atmosphere of indoor swimming pools and to examine how they relate to irritant and chronic respiratory symptoms, indices of pulmonary function, and bronchial hyperresponsiveness to methacholine in lifeguards working in the pools. METHOD: 334 lifeguards (256 men; 78 women) recruited from 46 public swimming pools (n = 228) and 17 leisure centre swimming pools (n = 106) were examined. Concentrations of NCl3 were measured with area samplers. Symptoms were assessed by questionnaire and methacholine bronchial challenge (MBC) test by an abbreviated method. Subjects were labelled MBC+ if forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) fell by > or = 20%. The linear dose-response slope was calculated as the percentage fall in FEV1 at the last dose divided by the total dose given. RESULTS: 1262 samples were taken in the 63 pools. Mean NCl3 concentrations were greater in leisure than in public pools. A significant concentration-response relation was found between irritant eye, nasal, and throat symptoms-but not chronic respiratory symptoms-and exposure concentrations. Among women, the prevalence of MBC+ was twice as great as in men. Overall, no relation was found between bronchial hyperresponsiveness and exposure. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that lifeguards exposed to NCl3 in indoor swimming pools are at risk of developing irritant eye, nasal, and throat symptoms. Exposure to NCl3 does not seem to carry the risk of developing permanent bronchial hyperresponsiveness, but this association might have been influenced by self selection. The possibility that subjects exposed to NCl3 are at risk of developing transient bronchial hyperresponsiveness cannot be confidently ruled out.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Exposure to metallic catalyst dust: manufacturing and handling of catalysts in the chemical industry.

The exposure of workers to metallic catalyst dust was assessed in manufacturing and reprocessing industries, and during catalyst handling in the chemical industry. The level of exposure was found to be generally low during the manufacturing and reprocessing activities taking place in permanent installations, and extremely variable during catalyst handling performed by workers of sub-contracting specialized firms. The difficulties in treating the occupational hygiene problems of these workers are pointed out.

Catalysis↗
PubMed1993

[Exposure of urban bus drivers to traffic pollution].

Two measurement campaigns aimed at measuring the air pollutant emissions of vehicles (carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, lead, benzo[a]pyrene and formaldehyde) have been carried out using on-board sampling or analysis equipment in public buses in two major French towns. The study had a double objective: (i) to assess the occupational exposure through pollutant measurements in the breathing zone of the drivers at their working posts, (ii) to compare the quality of the air sampled outside, either at the bus front (current position of the ventilation air intake), or on the vehicle roof. Carbon monoxide measurements were performed with several Ecolyser (electrochemical detection) standardized with a Mahiak Unor 6N infra-red non-dispersive analyser and nitrogen mono- and dioxide with AC 30 M Environment S.A. analysers (chemiluminescent detection), with a data-logger recording the '5-min weighted average concentrations'. Lead on dust was sampled on cellulose acetate or quartz filters and analysed by atomic absorption, benzo[a]pyrene (as a tracer of polynuclear hydrocarbons) on quartz filters and by HPLC/UV fluorescence detector and formaldehyde (as a tracer of aldehydes) on 2,4-DNPH-impregnated silicagel tubes by HPLC/UV. Recording and sampling were performed for 18 single and return routes in the center of Paris (for 1.5-2 h each) and for 25 routes in the center of Bordeaux (for 35-60 min). The results clearly indicate that the occupational exposures of urban bus drivers for the six pollutants are lower than the exposure limit values in the working place (French Labour Department or A.C.G.I.H. standards). In particular, levels for benzopyrene, associated with carcinogenic hazard, do not increase 5% of the standard from Russian origin (150 ng/m3). On the contrary, concentrations reached the levels recommended by international air quality standards (OMS, US or European standards) for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and lead. When CO mean concentration values by bus lines in the driver's breathing zone are compared with the measurement results provided for the same sample days by the Air-Parif control network (in Paris), or the Gertrude traffic management system (in Bordeaux), it may be assumed that they are at the level of the most polluted surveillance stations. The CO concentrations are significantly lower in the outdoor air coming from the roof than in that coming from the front of the bus, so that better indoor air quality at the driving post can be found with air intake from an upper than a lower part.

Air Pollutants↗
PubMed1992

The endogenous retroviral ev21 locus in commercial chicken lines and its relationship with the slow-feathering phenotype (K).

Provirus ev21 was found in both K- and k(+)-feathering Rhode Island Red commercial layers. Probe EV21-int revealed the presence of two distinct but similar regions, US (unoccupied site) and OS (occupied site). Restriction analysis showed that these regions had at least 19 kb structural homology but were distinguishable by ev21 proviral sequences, OS, and possibly three polymorphics US. The loci OS and US were both located on Chromosome Z. The k(+)-feathering birds were found to have only one site (either OS or US) per individual Z chromosome, whereas K-feathering birds had at least one Z chromosome with both regions in cis configuration. It has been possible to show that the reversion to the k(+)-feathering phenotype is accompanied by the loss of either a US or OS region that disrupts the cis configuration in K-feathering birds.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Assessment of the performance of respirators in the workplace.

The efficiency of a mask currently used in an inorganic pigment manufacturing plant producing suspected carcinogens was assessed and the protection provided by it was found to be insufficient. Three other masks, with better laboratory performances, were tested in field conditions. None of them reduced personal exposures to below the French limit values, and their performance in the field was well below that in laboratory assessments. A similar study in another pigment manufacturing plant gave similar results. Possibly only power-assisted filtering devices will provide satisfactory working conditions.

Chemical Industry↗
PubMed1991

Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of endogenous avian leukosis viral loci: determination of frequencies in commercial broiler lines.

Four component lines of a commercial broiler stock were analyzed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, for the presence of endogenous avian leukosis virus loci. The resulting RFLP patterns of endogenous virus (ev) loci for the four strains were further characterized in terms of number of loci per animal and frequency. Loci were also analyzed within limits for major structural alterations and deletions to discern whether certain loci were similar to previously identified loci in White Leghorn layer birds. The ev RFLP patterns for these broiler lines were found to be highly complex and contained many loci unreported in White Leghorn layer birds.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Field study of subjective assessment of negative pressure half-masks. Influence of the work conditions on comfort and efficiency.

The aim of this study was to assess the effects of work conditions on the acceptability and efficiency of respiratory protective devices (RPD). The subjective evaluation of comfort, protection, respiratory and visual constraint, and the acceptable duration of wear of six RPDs against dust was achieved by 30 workers during their actual work. Metabolic rate was evaluated for each worker, and dry and wet air temperatures measured in the work area. RPDs objective protection factor was measured during each of the 180 test periods. In the conditions of this study, the acceptable duration of wear was about 1 h. This duration and the comfort parameters were reduced when the air temperature increased. The younger workers and/or smokers were less sensitive to mask discomfort. Objective protection factors of the RPDs are reduced under warmer conditions, and when the metabolic rate is low. Finally, the results of this study also show the poor capacity of standardized leakage tests to assess the objective respiratory protection of workers in the field. Some hypotheses which can explain this fact are discussed.

Adult↗