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Biomedical subjects

L Belotti

Publications and source records attributed to L Belotti.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Colour vision loss in workers exposed to elemental mercury vapour.

We evaluated colour vision in 33 workers exposed to elemental mercury (Hg) vapour and in 33 referents matched for sex, age, alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking. The results were expressed as colour confusion index (CCI). In the workers urinary excretion of Hg (HgU) ranged from 28 to 287 micrograms/g creatinine. Subclinical colour vision loss, mainly in the blue-yellow range, was observed in the workers. This effect was related to exposure, as indicated by the correlation between HgU and CCI (r = 0.488, P < 0.01). In the workers whose HgU exceeded 50 micrograms/g creatinine, mean CCI was significantly increased compared to the matched referents. The results suggest that exposure to elemental Hg inducing HgU values exceeding 50 micrograms/g creatinine can induce a dose-related colour vision loss.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Hard metal disease: eight workers with interstitial lung fibrosis due to cobalt exposure.

Eight hard metal workers exposed to cobalt containing dust (four producers of stone-cutting cobalt-diamond wheels and four grinders of hard metal tools) and affected by interstitial lung fibrosis have been examined. A close relationship between cobalt exposure and clinical findings was observed in six patients who were still working. The clinical picture ranged from minor symptoms to manifestations resembling those of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, with fever, weight-loss, non-productive cough and dyspnea. A restrictive impairment of the ventilatory function was prevalent. The chest roentgenogram of one patient showed a diffuse reticular nodular pattern, while the others presented a mild reticular accentuation of the interstitium. In five patients, bioptic specimens of the lung parenchyma showed interstitial collagenic fibrosis with inflammatory cells infiltrating the alveolar septa. An increased number of lymphocytes and polymorphs was reported in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from seven patients. Giant multinucleated cells were present in the BAL of four subjects while an inversion of the helper-suppressor ratio was evident in those patients who were still exposed to cobalt when BAL was performed. In this study, the causal role of metallic cobalt inhalation in the etiology of the lung disease is examined and discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Health survey of workers occupationally exposed to cobalt.

The results are presented for a health control program using 236 male workers exposed to a cobalt inhalation risk. The study group consisted of grinders, producers of diamond tools, workers in metallurgical and mechanical industries (where Widia tools are processed and sharpened), and finally formerly exposed workers. All subjects received a clinical examination, the European Community for Coal and Steel questionnaire on respiratory complaints, a chest X-ray, pulmonary function test, electrocardiogram and determination of urinary cobalt; in 91 subjects, the metacholine bronchial provocation test was performed. Three cases of interstitial lung disease were identified. There were no cases with a significant alteration of ventilatory function while 20 cases (16 exposed and four formerly exposed workers) showed a reduced carbon monoxide transfer coefficient (TL,CO,sb/Va).

Bronchial Provocation Tests↗
PubMed1983

[Monitoring of laborers previously exposed to aromatic amines, in accordance with Circulars No. 46 of 12/6/1979 and No. 61 of 4/6/1981 of the Ministry of Labor].

The present report deal, a year after its beginning, with the results of a programme for health control regarding 592 ex-employees of Società Bergamasca Industrie Chimiche. Azo dyes were obtained from benzidine and beta-naphthylamine in this factory from 1947 to 1968. The report analyses the organizing difficulties and the troubles which caused a scarce performance of the programme at different levels: the subjects interested in the control, the Commission responsible for the district, the doctors in charge, the laboratories, the hospital division. In the end some proposals are advanced referring to the provision of the ministerial circular letter no 46, dated june 12, 1979, about the medical control of workers who leave the hazardous working job.

Amines↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Health surveillance in construction].

In the Italian and international literature there are very few studies about work diseases and their prevention in the construction's compartment. The analysis of the most recent articles about this theme, however, suggests the presence of an high professional risk in the compartment and indicates as the most relevant risk factors noise, dusts, fibres, manual lifting, prolonged fixed postures, cumulative trauma disorders, vibrations, chemical substances and climatic conditions. The role that extra-lavorative risk factors can play on health is also relevant; those risks are due to the workers' peculiar life-style: hyper caloric diet, smoke and use of alcohol. Interventions of medical hygienic prevention, formation and information are therefore necessary. Lombardy Region, which from many years is careful to the problems about the prevention in building yards, has created a Working party who has elaborated the "Guide Lines for the sanitary surveillance in the building industry". The indications reported in the Guide Lines could represent, even for the occupational-doctors of the building contractors of the New Hospital, a good base for the working out of the workers' health care activity, in the respect of the dues of the law in force.

Facility Design and Construction↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Occupational disease in construction work].

BACKGROUND: There are very few studies in the Italian and international literature concerning occupational diseases and their prevention in the building industry. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was risk assessment in the building industry. METHODS: We analyzed the international literature and the results of our cross-sectional study, which involved more than 1000 workers. RESULTS: The analysis of several studies and of our experience suggests a high occupational risk in this field and shows as main risk factors: noise, dusts, fibers, manual lifting, prolonged static positions, repetitive motions, hand-shoulder and whole-body vibrations, chemicals and weather conditions. In addition, non-occupational risk factors can influence health: e.g., habits and lifestyle, like hypercaloric diet, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: Preventive measures and training initiatives are urgently needed to improve the safety and the health among building workers.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Neurobehavioral effects of inhalation anesthetics used occupationally: a critical analysis].

Unlike other apparatuses, the potential effects on the nervous system of occupational exposure to anaesthetic gases have not been exhaustively reviewed. Because of the relevance of these effects, their significance of the quality of life of the exposed subjects and of the increased risk inherent in their delicate work tasks, these themes deserve the greatest attention. This paper briefly examines the data from the international literature as well as the neurobehavioral methods employed, underlines the existing gaps of knowledge and eventually proposes strategies aimed at filling these gaps of knowledge.

Anesthesia, Inhalation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinico-anamnestic survey in health professionals exposed to volatile anesthetics].

The authors describe the results of a preliminary clinical survey of a group of 220 health workers, physicians and 151 nursing and auxiliary staff members of a large regional hospital in Lombardia, who are exposed to volatile anaesthetics. Contact dermatitis, varices of the legs and arthrosis, particularly that of the cervical and lumbar tract, are the most frequently reported disease in our population. In 75% of cases these disturbances arose after the beginning of the job working in the operating-theatres. When compared with a control group there was a statistically significant difference for contact dermatitis (p less than 0.01) and cervical tract arthrosis (p less than 0.02). The statistical comparison among the subjects exposed to the anaesthetics gases, who were stratified on the basis of the level of exposure and of seniority, confirms a higher prevalence of symptoms due to a reduction of alertness and of psychological and psychomotorial performances in the more exposed personnel. The comparison between female staff exposed and not-exposed to the gases did not show an increase of abortivity, while a statistically significant difference was evident between the female staff (either exposed or not-exposed) and the wives of male workers not exposed to the anaesthetics gases.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Sanitary surveillance of workers occupationally exposed to volatile anesthetics: proposal for a computerized program for data collection and processing].

The aim of this work is to present a computerized program for an epidemiological evaluation of the data relevant to workers occupationally exposed to anesthetic gases and of the related occupational risks. The great handiness, the speed of execution, the possibility of carrying out researches by mean of multiple variables correlation and the prompt availability of the data, are the distinguishing features of this program.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Neurobehavioral functions in operating theatre personnel: a multicenter study.

The study was conducted to evaluate neuropsychological symptoms, subjective stress and response speed functions in subjects occupationally exposed to low levels of anesthetic gases. A group of 112 operating theatre personnel exposed to anesthetic gases (nitrous oxide and isoflurane), and 135 non exposed hospital workers from 10 hospitals in Northern Italy were examined before and after the shift on the first and the last day of the working week. Three different tasks were administered: a complex reaction time test (the Stroop Color Word); a questionnaire for neuropsychological symptoms (EURO-QUEST); the block design subtest (WAIS). Biological and atmospheric indicators of exposure were measured. In the exposed group, the geometric mean of urinary nitrous oxide at the end of the shift was 7.1 micrograms/l (95th percentile 12.4, range 1.5-43) on the first and 7.8 micrograms/l (95th percentile 21.5, range 1.0-73.3) on the last day of the working week. On the same days, end of shift urinary isoflurane was 0.7 microgram/l (95th percentile 2.6, range 0-4.7) on the first day and 0.8 microgram/l (95th percentile 2.0, range 0-5.6) on the last. The exposed and control subjects were comparable for both basic intellectual abilities and subjective stress levels. No statistical differences were observed between exposed and control subjects for neuropsychological tests and symptoms. No dose-effect relationships were observed between the exposure indicators and the test results. In conclusion, no early behavioral effect on the central nervous system was detectable at the exposure levels measured. The biological exposure limits of 13 micrograms/l for nitrous oxide and 1.8 micrograms/l for isoflurane corresponding respectively to the atmospheric concentrations of 25 ppm and 0.5 ppm seem to be adequately protective for the integrity of workers' neurobehavioral functions, as measured with the tests used.

Adolescent↗