Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P Brhel.
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The objective of the presented study was to motile that cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremities in recent years leads to arising morbidity and applications for compensation for occupational diseases. This rise is probably not associated with an increase of this disorder but a different awareness of workers and doctors as regards the possible adverse effect of forceful and frequently repeated movements of the upper extremities on their function, extended diagnostics and notification. It is important to master the diagnosis of these diseases and interpretation of auxiliary examinations to prevent inadequate payment of damages to the affected subjects and on the other hand to prevent breakdown or in adequate function of the financial provisions in this area. A number of syndromes of the mentioned conditions has very few objective symptoms and abnormal results of auxiliary examinations. The diagnosis of stenotic syndromes has a compared with other disorders great support in electrophysiological techniques, their high sensitivity and specificity (1, 15). The authors discuss therefore their problems and suggest electrophysiological criteria of medium grade affections in the carpal tunnel syndrome which is the condition for compensation for occupational disease and which so far was defined only roughly in this country.
The authors describe two cases suffering from Caplan s syndrome, i.e. a combination of pneumoconiosis and rheumatoid arthritis, in miners of deep coal mines in southern Moravia. The finding on the lungs preceded the manifestation of articular symptoms. The disease progressed even after the risk of fibrogenic dust was eliminated. In both patients occupational diseases were involved.
The purpose of this study was to determine physical fitness level of lignite miners in the Czech Republic. The authors have examined a representative group of 152 active lignite miners by bicycle spiroergometry. The duration of employment in coal mines ranged between 5 and 32 years. The average age was 43.1 +/- 4.7 years. The miners had an average peak oxygen consumption 2.9 +/- 0.5 l.min-1, corresponding to 99.7 +/- 20.4% of the predicted maximal oxygen consumption. Physical fitness of lignite miners was comparable with reference values for healthy men in Czech population. The level of physical fitness did not correlate with the length of exposure to underground work.
During the past years in Czechoslovakia some 5000 occupational diseases, intoxications and other occupational health damage was recorded. Per year about one fifth of the affected people were health workers. The authors made an analysis of occupational diseases in the South Moravian region in 1975 to 1990. A total of 1726 occupational diseases of health professionals were recorded. In 91.8% contagious diseases were involved, in 7.4% dermatoses--where the most frequent condition was contact eczema. In 0.5% other occupational diseases were involved such as asthma bronchiale, damage to haematopoiesis by ionizing radiation, damage of the nerves of the upper extremities by locally transmitted vibrations, epicondylitis of the humerus and dysphonia in a teacher in a school for health workers. Other health damage was found only in 0.3%. In three instances serious malignancies of the urinary system were found in oncologists who had been administering cytostatics for prolonged periods. The most frequent occupational disease of health workers was in 65.4% viral hepatitis, in recent years with a steadily declining trend. The paper indicates that health professions were during the past period, as compared with traditional ideas, associated with a considerable risk.
In 1975 to 1989 in the South Moravian region 2732 communicable and parasitic diseases were diagnosed and notified. The long-term trend has a declining character. At the end of the period of investigation a decline to 43% of the initial level was recorded. As to the occupation of the affected subjects, 56% were health workers and 26% agricultural workers. The most frequent disease was in 43% viral hepatitis, in 20% trichophytosis, in 5% erysipeloid and in 4% tubera mulgentium. Health workers suffered most frequently from viral hepatitis; in 68% it was type B hepatitis. The mean age of the patients was 35.6 years. The authors analyzed the findings, discuss the criteria of occupational character according to the list of occupational diseases which is the appendix 1 of decree 149/1988 Sb.
In the South Moravian region physical factors are the most frequent cause of classification of risk work places involving the danger of occupational disease of working people. The risk of noise predominates. In 1987 more than 60,000 preventive examinations were made in risk work places. In 3% changes were revealed considered occupation-conditioned by the examining physicians. Transfer to other work on account of the danger of occupational disease was made in the majority because of overburdening of the locomotor apparatus. The declining trend of occupational diseases to 53.6% in 1985 to 1987, as compared with 1961 to 1963, is favourable. At present occupational dermatoses and infectious diseases are most frequent. The most affected occupation in the South Moravian region are health workers.