Biomedical subjects

Wojciech Hanke

Publications and source records attributed to Wojciech Hanke.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

[Menstrual disorders. Is this a problem to be handled by occupational medicine physician?].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to define the frequency of menstrual disorders and identify risk factors, especially those associated with the work environment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group was composed of 142 women, aged 22-45 years. Some of them were employed in a cosmetics manufacture plant and a bank, others were hospital and ambulatory nurses and auxiliary personnel. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed irregular cycles in one third and prolonged bleeding in one fourth of the women. Long cycles were observed in one fifth of the women and short cycles were noted in every tenth women. It was found that occasional or frequent contact with ethylene oxide increased the risk of irregular cycles and oligomenorrhea, whereas work around X-ray apparatus was responsible for the risk of long cycles and heavy bleeding. Long rest pauses during work (in this study correlated with work load) were regarded as a factor inducing the risk of oligomenorrhea and prolonged bleeding. A randomly sampled group of 33 women measured morning temperature during two consecutive cycles. Of this number, 15 women (45.5%) showed ovulation in both cycles, 11 (33.3%) in one cycle only, and 7 both anovulatory cycles. The risk of ovulation disorders was enhanced by a two-shift work system (mostly night shift) and strong job stress. Energy expenditure for leisure time activity > 1000 kcal/week and smoking also contributed to an enhanced risk. In summing up, it should be stressed that because of varied frequency of irregular cycles determined by the intensity of environmental factors, occupational medicine physicians should gather data on the occurrence of such disorders and undertake relevant preventive measures.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[Diagnostic value of Gram stain for assessment of vaginal smears during pregnancy].

The main aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of Giemsa stained method with Gram stained method for the evaluation of vaginal smears among pregnant women. A study population comprised 111 pregnant between 6 and 30 weeks of gestation. The vaginal smears from every subject was diagnosed according to Giemsa and Gram stained method and micro-organisms were isolated by culture. In 29.3% cases diagnosed as normal flora (2a) on the basis of Giemsa method bacterial vaginosis was detected in Gram stains according to Spiegel's criteria and pathological microflora in concentration > or = 10(5) CFU/ml was cultured among 75.9% of them. Among 31.7% women who had grade 3a (abnormal) in Giemsa stains method normal flora was diagnosed on the basis on Gram's method and from 17.1% pregnant women from this group we did not isolated any pathogens. For evaluation of vaginal smears during pregnancy the Giemsa method should be replaced by Gram stained method.

Azure Stains↗

PubMed2004

Efficacy and effectiveness of the smoking cessation program for pregnant women.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of randomized trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of anti-smoking counseling in the population of pregnant women from the maternity centers in Lódź, central Poland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and forty nine current smokers and 56 spontaneous quitters were randomized into the smoking cessation intervention and 144 current smokers and 37 spontaneous quitters were included in the control group. The intervention program covered four midwife visits during pregnancy and one after delivery. The control units received standard written information about the health risk from maternal smoking to the fetus. RESULTS: The chance of quitting smoking by the women was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (OR = 2.5; 95% CI 1.8-3.7). The difference in the mean infant birthweight between the quitters and non-quitters was 203.8 g (p = 0.01) in the intervention group and 198.2 g in the control group (p = 0.08). After controlling for socio-demographic characteristics that could affect the birthweight, the differences remained significant in the intervention group - 182.8 g (p = 0.02), whereas in the control group it was 92.4 g (p = 0.4). CONCLUSIONS: The midwife-assisted smoking cessation intervention seems to be an effective tool to help pregnant smokers make a decision to quit smoking.

Birth Weight↗

PubMed2004

[Use of prenatal health care and risk of infants born small-for-gestational-age. Preliminary results of a case-control study in the Lódź voivodeship].

It is well documented that small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants are at an increased risk of perinatal mortality and morbidity. In order to identify the major modifiable risk factors of SGA birth, a case-control study was launched in the area of Lódź voivodeship, Poland. The project was focused on the evaluation of the role of perinatal health services and avoidance of exposure to tobacco smoke in the prevention of SGA births. The study population consisted of mothers of 153 SGA infants (cases) and 93 mothers of control infants. SGA infants were identified as infants with body weight below 10th percentile for gestational age, using Ballarda scale. The controls were non-SGA infants delivered after 37 week of gestation. The infants from both groups were delivered in 26 maternity wards in the Lódź voivodeship within the period of June 1-November 1, 2003. One month after delivery, each mother of SGA and control infants was visited by an interviewer who collected information about her profile of use of perinatal health care and on active and passive exposure to tobacco smoke in pregnancy. Odds ratios and 95% confidence units (CU) were calculated using EpiInfo software developed by CDC, Atlanta, Georgia, US. Late booking for perinatal care (after 12 week of gestation) and less than 5 visits during pregnancy was found to be related to an increased risk of SGA, however, the OR values included unity. About 1/3 of mothers of SGA infants and "of the controls were served mainly by the private health sector. The use of private care was related to a lower risk of SGA: OR= 0.55 95% CI (0.31-0.96). This protective pattern was observed in the population of women aged 19-25 living in rural areas years and with only primary education. The preconception visits to obstetricians and contacts with health educators during pregnancy were also found to have some protective effect, however, the ORs were not statistically significant. The adverse effect of smoking during pregnancy was clearly confirmed in the study population, OR= 2.69 95%CI (1.37-5.33), while the role of passive smoking was difficult to assess due to the small number of nonsmoking women exposed to ETS. There are some indications that the poor use of perinatal health services may account for the elevated risk of SGA births in the Lódź voivodeship. The use of the private health sector is growing and seems to be related to a lower risk of SGA births. More effective tools to prevent maternal smoking have to be developed and implemented in routine perinatal care.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

[Effect of smoking during pregnancy on maternal condition and birth outcome--overview of epidemiologic studies].

The association between maternal smoking and retarded fetal grow was first time described in 1957, and now is well know. In addition smoking during pregnancy increases risk of spontaneous abortion, placenta previa, abruptio placenta, preterm premature rupture of membranes, stillbirth, preterm delivery and congenital malformations. The risk for most of these conditions has been found to increase with the number of cigarettes smoked and on the other hand women who stopped smoking during pregnancy are at the lower risk for most of those pathologies.

Abruptio Placentae↗

PubMed2003

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure among pregnant women: impact on fetal biometry at 20-24 weeks of gestation and newborn child's birth weight.

AIM: While there are sufficient data regarding the negative effect of exposure to the constituents of tobacco smoke on newborn infants' birth weights, it is still unclear whether this effect may originate in early pregnancy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of exposure to tobacco smoke components in early pregnancy (20-24 weeks) on fetal biometry. METHODS: The study population comprised 183 women consecutively enrolled at 20-24 weeks of pregnancy at the two antenatal care units. Ultrasound biometric measurements of fetal bi-parietal diameter (BPD), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur length (FL) were performed at the time of enrollment. Serum cotinine concentration was determined at 20-24 weeks of gestation by gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detector (GC/MS) to assess environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure during the previous evening and the morning of the same day (blood collection at 1200-1300 h). ETS exposure (passive smoking) was assumed to occur when the level of serum cotinine ranged from 2-10 ng/ml. RESULTS: In a multiple regression model for bi-parietal diameter (BPD), after adjustment for pregnancy duration at the time of ultrasound examination, fetal gender, and maternal pre-pregnancy weight, a statistically significant negative association was found between the BPD and serum cotinine concentration. A similar association was identified for subjects with serum cotinine concentrations below 10 ng/ml (corresponding to passive smoking) (P=0.06). After controlling for pregnancy duration, maternal pre-pregnancy weight and infant's gender, we found that serum cotinine levels at 20-24 weeks of gestation was inversely associated with infant birth weight (P=0.004). For the subjects with serum cotinine levels below 10 ng/ml, a borderline association (P=0.09) with infant birth weight was found. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal exposure to tobacco smoke in early pregnancy, as measured by serum cotinine concentrations at 20-24 weeks of gestation, adversely affects fetal BPD. Preventive measures need to be undertaken to encourage pregnant women to stop smoking and avoid passive exposure to tobacco smoke from the very beginning of pregnancy.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The use of pesticides in a Polish rural population and its effect on birth weight.

INTRODUCTION: The risk of adverse reproductive outcomes related to pesticide exposure has been investigated in few studies; however, the results have not been consistent. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the influence of maternal residual exposure to pesticides on birth weight among women in an agricultural district in Central Poland. METHOD: Subjects included 104 women who delivered a single, live infant between 1 January 1994 and 31 December 2000. Based on maternal reports, the type of farming (crops, orchards, non-farming jobs), involvement in field work and the trade names of pesticides used within last pregnancy were established. Birth weight for the most recent pregnancy was abstracted from the medical data of the local maternity unit. RESULTS: Mothers who reported involvement in field work had a similar pregnancy duration but delivered infants with a significantly higher birth weight than mothers not reporting such activities in the first or second trimester of pregnancy (P=0.04). However, after controlling for pregnancy duration and other factors affecting birth weight, we found that maternal exposure to synthetic pyrethroids in the first or second trimester was associated with a small but statistically significant decrease in birth weight (P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: We postulate that the observed effect of pyrethroids exposure was related to a slower pace of foetal development corresponding to the small-for-gestational-age (SGA) birth.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Pesticide exposure and birthweight: an epidemiological study in Central Poland.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of maternal exposure to pesticides in the 1st and 2nd trimesters of pregnancy on infant birthweight in a population of Polish farmers. The subjects were women who delivered in 25 maternity hospitals in the region of Lódź (Central Poland), including 117 women who delivered infants with low birthweight (LBW) and 377 infants with birthweight > or = 2500 g delivered on randomly selected 70 days between 31 January 1998 and 30 June 2001. A questionnaire on maternal demographic and anthropometric characteristics as well as the occurrence of several occupational hazards, including pesticide use and involvement in heavy physical work on the farm in each of pregnancy trimesters, was administered by a physician 1-2 days after delivery. The pesticides used most frequently included: phenoxyacetic acid derivatives, organophosphates, ureas, triazines, synthetic pyrethroids and N-phenylamides (anilides). Infants born to women exposed to pesticides in 1st or 2nd trimester had birthweight lower by 189 g than that of infants of the non-exposed women. When adjusted for pregnancy duration, the women exposed to pesticides were found to deliver infants with birthweight lower by about 100 g (p = 0.067) than that of infants of the non-exposed women. After adjusting for the variables that may have impact on pregnancy duration, we noted that mothers exposed to pesticides, on average delivered half a week earlier than those non-exposed. Our results indicate that maternal exposure to pesticides may contribute to a slight reduction in the duration of pregnancy. A slower pace of fetal development, corresponding to the small-for-gestational-age effect, was observed, but the increment in the risk was of borderline significance.

Agriculture↗

PubMed2003

[Working condition of pregnant women. Departures from regulation on occupations especially noxious or hazardous to women].

To define the range and kind of discrepancies between regulations and actual state of working conditions and occupations performed by women during pregnancy, a survey was carried out in the population of 2649 women, a representative group of occupationally involved pregnant women in the region of Łódź. The questionnaire analysis provided information on the kind and arduousness of work performed, working hours and conditions in the work environment. Having verified the data obtained from 10% of women, a very high consistency between working conditions described by respondents and evaluated by experts was noted. Its was found that almost 60% of women under study indicated that their working conditions depart from those defined as admissible for women during pregnancy. Of the women who worked only during the first month of pregnancy, 75% of them were employed at workposts, which did not meet the requirements, and nearly half of women who worked during the whole period of pregnancy were employed in inappropriate conditions. The noxiousness most frequently reported by respondents applied to body posture: bending and position with rotated spine (about 40%). This was followed by lifting and carrying various objects (about 30%), prolonged working hours (about 20%), shift work, including night shifts (about 12%), work at conveyor belt and forced work pace (about 20%). Noise that makes it difficult to communicate, local vibration and work with computers over 4 hours daily was reported by 30% and 15% of respondents, respectively. The most common solution to limit the potential effect of hazardous and noxious working conditions on pregnant women was to remove them from work by issuing a sick leave certificates, while the modification of working conditions or shifting them to another post applied only to 14% of women. The results of the study showed that working conditions of pregnant women differed from those described by the State Labor Inspectorate. The discrepancy can be explained by different method of data collection.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[The evaluation of prevalence and the impact of pathological microflora of the lower genital tract among women at early pregnancy on the risk of preterm delivery].

The main aim of this prospective study was to determine the prevalence and an association between pathological microflora of the lower genital tract diagnosed at early pregnancy and the risk of preterm delivery. The study group comprised 179 randomly selected pregnant women from Lodz region, between 8 and 16 week of pregnancy. For the qualitative and quantitative assessment of biocenosis of the lower genital tract vaginal and cervical swabs were collected from the pregnant women under study. The C. trachomatis antigen was detected by direct immunofluorescence assay. The vaginal swabs were tested for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. Bacterial vaginosis was diagnosed by Gram stain according to Spiegel's criteria. To evaluate the risk factors odds ratios were calculated using EPI INFO software. 21 (11.7%) women delivered before 37th week of pregnancy. Bacterial vaginosis was diagnosed among 51 (28.5%) pregnant women while intermediate microflora was diagnosed by Gram stain in 62 (34.6%) women. The shortest mean gestational age at delivery was noted among women with BV. The rate of preterm delivery in BV group was 15.7% comparing to 9.1% among women with normal microflora. Among women with preterm delivery BV was diagnosed in 38.1% (OR = 1.86). Based on culture results only 84 (46.9%) women had normal microflora at early pregnancy. The pathological culture was associated with slightly increased preterm delivery rate (12.6%) as compare to 10.7% in control group. Positive culture for Bacteroides and Mobiluncus was connected with nonstatistical rise in the risk of preterm delivery. No association between C. trachomatis infection at early pregnancy and elevated risk of preterm delivery was found. Early pregnancy diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis and its treatment should lower the rate of prematurity in Poland.

Chlamydia trachomatis↗

PubMed2003

[Risk of certain obstetric pathologies in women employed in working conditions non-complying with the current legal status on work load and working conditions appropriate for pregnant women].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to define the incidence of prematurity and small-for-gestational age (SGA) infants in occupationally involved pregnant women, and to find out how far working conditions departing from binding regulations contribute to the risk of the development of these pathologies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was carried out on a representative sample of 3050 women employed for longer than one week during pregnancy in the Łódź district. An interview conducted with the subjects few days after delivery was the source of information about working conditions. The obtained information was compared with the real situation in about 10% of randomly selected workposts. A high level of consistence was observed. RESULTS: The study revealed that almost 60% of women work in conditions, which do not comply with the Labor Code provisions setting working conditions permissible for pregnant women. In the study group, 4.68% of prematurity and 6.15% of SGA were recorded. A 66% excess in the risk of delivering SGA infants in case of at least one factor not complying with regulations was revealed. The excess was growing with the increased number of departures from regulations and continuation of employment during pregnancy. It was estimated that the number of SGA cases would decrease by 28% if the working conditions would have met the requirements. A prolonged time of work, local vibration for > 4h/shift, forced work pace, excessive effort and forced body position during the work performance contributed mostly to the risk of pathology. Interestingly, the risk of premature delivery was lower by about 40% in women working in unsatisfactory conditions, which is attributed to termination of work immediately after the occurrence of pregnancy-threatening symptoms. Only those women whose pregnancy was not threatened with pathology could continue their work. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed a quite large number of workplaces not complying with regulations on working conditions permissible for pregnant women. Therefore, studies in this area should be continued by physicians attending pregnant women, under programs aimed at preventing prematurity, and they should be expanded to include the detection of SGA during gestation and the implementation of relevant prophylactics.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Fertility and occupational exposure to pesticides].

The epidemiological studies discussed in this paper are concerned with the association between exposure to pesticides among workers employed in agriculture or greenhouses and pregnancy and semen quality. The results of the studies showed that employment in agriculture increases the risk of specific morphological abnormalities in sperm as well as decreases the sperm count and the percentage of viable sperm. The data on the effect of employment in agriculture on the time of pregnancy are not unequivocal, but most of them suggest the relationship between pesticide exposure and decreased fecundity rate. The studies of the gender ratio of the offspring do not yield explicit results showing that more girls than boys are born to workers exposed to pesticides. The results of the literature review also suggest the need to increase the awareness about potential adverse effects of pesticides on fertility among workers occupationally exposed to them. In the light of the available, alas still insufficient evidence that pesticides exert negative effect on fertility, it is essential to reduce pesticide exposure both among men and women before the planned pregnancy.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Meta-analysis of prenatal smoking cessation interventions].

Our purpose was to assess the effect of prenatal smoking interventions on rates of smoking cessation. A total of 37 trials, conducted between 1976 and 2002 and comprising over 14000 women were identified and included in the meta-analyses. There was a significant increasing in the odds of women who quit smoking in late pregnancy in the intervention group (OR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.4-1.8). The effectiveness of the intervention was significantly higher in the studies that smoking cessation intervention included written materials for pregnant women then in the studies without those materials. The percentage of pregnant women who quit smoking was higher among American women than among women from the European Countries.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Perimenstrual complaints--is this a problem to be handled by occupational medicine physicians].

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to define associations between intensity of perimenstrual complaints, the type of job performed and working conditions, taking also account of non-occupational factors. The study preceding the development of a preventive program was carried out in a group of women employed in work settings different in the character and burden of adverse agents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The group was composed of 142 women, aged 21-45 years, employed in a cosmetics manufacture plant (27%) and a bank (27%), as well as of hospital and ambulatory nurses and auxiliary personnel (50%). A questionnaire on premenstrual and menstrual complaints, working conditions, characteristics of the women and their household duties load was the main tool of the study. RESULTS: The study revealed that about 80% of women experienced premenstrual and about 75% menstrual symptoms, which were strongly intensified in 40% of women. After applying logistic regression, it was found that physical workload and occupational stress were the major occupational risk factors, whereas chronic diseases, age, household duties load and alcohol consumption were the major non-occupational risk factors. CONCLUSIONS: The evidenced relationship between complaints and adverse agents typical of the job performed should prompt occupational medicine physicians to more comprehensive analysis of individual jobs in view of reducing occupational load.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

The risk factors of occupational hypersensitivity in apprentice bakers -- the predictive value of atopy markers.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the predictive value of known risk factors of asthma, such as atopy, exposure to pet allergens at home, and tobacco smoking, in predicting the occurrence of occupational respiratory allergy due to high-molecular-weight allergens. METHODS: A questionnaire study, skin-prick tests (SPTs) for common and occupational allergens, and evaluation of total and - in selected cases - specific IgE, were performed in 357 apprentice bakers before and after a year of vocational training. RESULTS: Mean age of examined subjects was 17.2+/-0.5 years. The prevalence of newly developed symptoms was 7% for rhinitis, 3.1% for chest symptoms, and 3.6% for skin symptoms. The frequency of at least one positive SPT result changed from 17.9% to 24.4% after the 1st year of vocational training, including SPTs for common allergens - from 16.8% to 22.7%, and for occupational allergens - from 2% to 8%. The proportion of subjects with elevated total IgE level increased from 38.7% to 44.3%. Generally, after a year of vocational training 9.2% of examined subjects presented hypersensitivity to occupational allergens. Logistic regression analysis revealed that positive results of SPTs for common allergens (odds ratio (OR) =4.4; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.9, 10.27) and elevated IgE level (OR=3.6; 95%CI 1.55, 8.57) were significant risk factors of hypersensitivity to occupational allergens. CONCLUSIONS: In apprentice bakers hypersensitivity to occupational allergens develops even during vocational training. SPTs for common allergens, performed before apprentices started their vocational training, would enable the identification of subjects at the highest risk of sensitisation to occupational allergens.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Socioeconomic and environmental risk factors of bacterial vaginosis in early pregnancy.

The main aim of this prospective study was to determine the socioeconomic, demographic and environmental factors that may be associated with the occurrence of bacterial vaginosis at early pregnancy in an indigent population from Central Poland. A group of 196 pregnant women was selected randomly from the patients of 10 district maternity units in the Lodz region, Central Poland. Only singleton pregnancies between 8 and 16 week of gestation were qualified for inclusion in the survey. A standard questionnaire covering medical, socioeconomic, demographic, constitutional and environmental items was administered to every subject and was verified with medical records. Cervico-vaginal swabs were collected from the women under study and tested for bacterial vaginosis (BV) according to Spiegel's criteria. Based on the results of Gram stain, BV was diagnosed in 51 women (28.5%), grade I microflora among 66 (36.9%) and grade II among 62 women (34.6%). In the univariate analysis, only single marital status proved to be an important risk factor associated with BV during pregnancy, this was confirmed in the multivariate analysis. Pregnant women who present risk factors for abnormal cervico-vaginal microflora should be covered by comprehensive prenatal surveillance, which enables early detection and treatment of this pathology. Research that identifies the causal pathways and mechanisms through which social disadvantage leads to a higher risk of preterm birth may help to reduce current socioeconomic and demographic disparities and improve pregnancy outcome.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Occupational diseases--epidemiologic evaluation of the situation in Poland].

The incidence of occupational diseases is one of the basic indices of the effectiveness of prevention in the area of occupational health. It allows for the identification of jobs, plants and branches of the national economy with potentially increased risks for pathologies induced by working conditions. However, we should be aware of the fact that many of the recently diagnosed diseases result from long-term exposures experienced at work sites which are no longer under operation. The analysis was based on data included in occupational disease certificates. All sanitary and epidemiological stations throughout the country are committed to notify cases of occupational diseases to the National Register of Occupational Diseases at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Łódź. After a significant increase in the number of occupational diseases (8305-12,017 cases per year) observed in 1980-1998, its decrease has been noted in Poland over the recent two years (9982 cases in 1999 and 7339 in 2000). In 1998-2000, a substantial decrease in the decreasing rate was also found (from 117.3 to 73.9 per 100,000 employed), which means that the decreasing trend does not result only from the increasing size of the working population in Poland. In 2000 like in previous years, among occupational diseases the following ones were most often diagnosed: diseases of vocal organ due to excessive voice effort most common in teachers, occupational hearing loss, pneumoconiosis, contagious and invasive diseases, dermatoses, chronic diseases of bronchi, vibration syndrome as well as acute and chronic poisonings. There were registered 6626 cases of the above listed diseases, that is 90.3% of all occupational diseases. In 1998-2000, a significant decrease in the incidence of this category of diseases was noted. The largest decrease applied to the vocal organ diseases, occupational hearing loss and contagious and invasive diseases (by 30%, 51% and 40%, respectively). Neither in the member states of the European Union, nor in the USA, vocal organ pathologies are listed among occupational diseases. The main reason for this is an inappropriate medical prevention in the group of teachers and somewhat limited opportunity to teach them how to use techniques of voice emission. A decreased incidence of occupational diseases observed in Poland in 1998-2000 results partly from improvements in working conditions and partly from more effective prevention.

Bronchial Diseases↗

PubMed2002

[Risk factors of occupational hypersensitivity in apprentice bakers].

The aim of the study was to evaluate the risk factors for hypersensitivity to occupational allergens in apprentice bakers. The study group comprised 287 persons. A questionnaire survey, as well as skin prick tests (SPT) with common and occupational allergens were performed in all subjects prior to occupational exposure and one and two years after starting vocational training. In addition, the total IgE level was evaluated in all of them at the beginning of the study. In selected cases, specific anti-flour and alpha-amylase IgE were estimated. Almost 2% of the study subjects showed positive SPT with occupational allergens before vocational training. After two years of occupational exposure, the occurrence of at least one positive SPT increased from 19.2 to 30.7%, including common (from 18.8 to 30%) and occupational (from 1.7 to 12.9%) allergens. In 18.1% of subjects, hypersensitivity to occupational allergens assessed by positive SPT, and/or the presence of antigen specific IgE developed during the study period. Logistic regression analysis revealed that positive SPT with common allergens is a significant risk factor for the development of hypersensitivity to occupational allergens (OR = 9.06, 95% CI: 2.53-32.46). The results of the study suggest that skin prick tests with common and occupational allergens should be performed in bakers prior to occupational exposure. The outcome of the tests should enable better identification of subjects at the highest risk of occupational allergy and their referral to more frequent screening. A relatively high prevalence of positive SPT with occupational allergens (2%) at the beginning of vocational training should be taken into account to avoid possible future diagnostic mistakes.

Adolescent↗