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Biomedical subjects

J E Tengberg

Publications and source records attributed to J E Tengberg.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Glass fibre irritation and protective creams.

5 commercial products were tested pairwise as prophylaxis against itching and irritation from glass fibres: a commercial cream for glass fibre itching, a silicone spray, an emollient cream, a fatty ointment, and a "cream-ointment". The preparations were found to have very limited value in protection against glass fibre irritation. Some workers even experienced exacerbated itching from all the preparations, including the cream marketed for protection against glass fibre irritation. Only 25% of a group of workers with severe glass fibre itching still used an emollient cream after 12 weeks.

Adult

Relationship between intensities of skin test reactions to glass-fibres and chemical irritants.

A total of 98 workers at a glass-wool factory were patch tested with glass-fibres and six chemical irritants. A rubbing test with the fibres, a Trafuril test and provocation of dermographism were also performed. The subjects with strong patch test reactions to one quality of fibres also reacted strongly to the other types of fibres but did not show an increased sensitivity to other tests. The subjects with intense skin reactions to rubbing with the fibres showed an increased skin reactivity to Trafuril. A tendency towards increased reactivity to the patch tests with fibres was found in persons with fair skin and blue eyes.

Adolescent

Does occupational exposure to glass-fibres increase the general skin reactivity to irritants?

A total of 33 workers at a glass-wool factory were tested (patch tests with glass-fibres and chemical irritants, epicutaneous tests with Trafuril and intracutaneous tests with histamine) before starting to work at the factory and then re-tested after at least 4 weeks of exposure to glass-fibres. No statistically significant differences in the intensity of the skin reactions before and after exposure were found. Thus no general increased irritancy of the normal skin was induced by the continuous exposure to glass-fibres.

Adolescent

Skin reactivity in workers with and without itching from occupational exposure to glass fibres.

98 workers at a glass-wool factory were divided into three comparable groups: those with persistent troublesome itching from the fibres, those without itching, and those who had become 'hardened' to the itching. The three groups were compared with respect to the results of patch testing with glass fibres and six chemical irritants, a rubbing test with fibres, the Trafuril test, and provocation of dermographism. Anamnestic data with respect to atopy, itching from wool and synthetic fibres, sweating, and reactions to the sun were evaluated, as also was the general skin pigmentation. No statistically significant differences between the three groups were found in respect of any of these tests or factors except for a subjectively increased sensitivity in the rubbing test with fibres for the itching group. It is possible that similar itch-provocation tests might be useful for pre-employment assessment to predict severe occupational itching from glass fibres.

Allergens