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[Evaluation of occupational exposures in lung cancer].

Occupational lung cancers are underestimated by the number of cases compensated in the French National Insurance System. Rules of compensation of occupational diseases were recently modified in France. Therefore a study was conducted on incident cases of lung cancer in a general hospital in the Paris area. The aim was to evaluate the exposure to carcinogens using data of a detailed specific occupational questionnaire, and to determine the number of cases who could receive compensation. Two hundred and seven subjects (171 males, 36 females, mean age = 64.5 years) were eligible in 1996, and 122 had an occupational questionnaire. Definite exposure to one or more occupational carcinogens in at least one job was identified in 50 subjects, the most frequent agent was asbestos (42 subjects). Claim for compensation was done in 32 subjects, mainly for asbestos (30 subjects). This study emphasizes the frequency of occupational exposure to carcinogens, and the usefulness of systematic occupational questionnaire in subjects having lung cancer. Social and financial consequences are important for these subjects. Further studies are needed, with recruitement of control subjects to allow calculation of the attributable risk to occupational factors in lung cancer.

Aged↗

Work therapy and return to work.

In summary, data were selected for 1 year on patients treated in the Work Tolerance Program at the Hand Rehabilitation Center in Philadelphia. The type of information obtained has been used to obtain a profile of the patient population in the Work Tolerance Program. Statistical analysis was used, not only to formulate patient demographics, but also to evaluate the length of treatment of patients in the Work Tolerance Program. This period averaged 6 weeks. The statistical analysis also revealed there was significant interaction between the type of injury and the patient's diagnosis, and the rate of return to work. The patients with injuries to bone and nerve required longer periods of treatment until they returned to work than did patients with injuries to soft tissue or combination injuries. Our statistical analysis revealed that in 1982, 75 per cent of the patients in the Work Tolerance Program returned to work to regular or modified jobs. The length of time from injury to return to work was 63 per cent longer for patients with Workers' Compensation coverage than for patients with private insurance coverage. Because the statistical analysis that 60 per cent of the patients treated in the Work Tolerance Program were Workers' Compensation insured, and 80 per cent of the patients treated in the Work Tolerance Program were secondarily referred, it should be recognized that all patients with severe hand injuries would benefit from an immediate referral to a Hand Rehabilitation Center of excellence to facilitate their therapeutic management and expedite their recovery from time of injury to return to work. This study was restricted to the analysis of length of treatment and rate of return to work. Future studies should study the effect of early referral and the application of specific treatments.

Adult↗

Respiratory diseases among union carpenters: cohort and case-control analyses.

Lung diseases, defined by ICD-9 diagnoses on medical insurance claims, were studied through the combined use of administrative records, private health insurance, and workers' compensation claims for a cohort of 10,938 active union carpenters between 1989 and 1992. The cohort defined the study base for a nested case-control study, in which cases (n = 220) were initially identified by an ICD-9 code for asthma in private health insurance or workers' compensation files. A questionnaire was used to collect information on respiratory history and potential home and workplace exposures. Questions used by Burney et al. to define a discriminant function predictor (DFP) of a bronchial response to histamine were used to reclassify cases and controls for further exploratory analyses. Bronchitis accounted for over 50% of the lung disease cases among this cohort followed by asthma, chronic obstructive airway disease, and chronic bronchitis. Incidence density rates of asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic obstructive airway disease adjusted for age, sex, and time in the union increased with increasing age. Using Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data to estimate expected lung cancer cases in our cohort, an elevated standardized incidence rate (SIR) was seen among male carpenters between the ages of 45-54. Smoking history was not available for the entire cohort. Using the ICD-9 or Burney case definition of asthma, odds ratios were significantly elevated for exposure to hay, epoxy paints, enzymes, animals, and molds. Additional exposures associated with asthma using Burney's definition, are ones to which a majority of these carpenters were exposed including cement, drywall, and demolition dusts.

Adolescent↗

Occupational dermatoses among Polish private farmers, 1991-1999.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about work-related skin diseases among Polish self-employed farmers. In the National Register of Occupational Diseases, private farmers are placed in one category together with other agricultural workers, despite fundamental differences in compensation legislation and separate insurance institutions. The Agricultural Social Insurance Fund reports only on numbers of compensated cases. The aim of this study was to create reliable statistics on occupational dermatoses among private farmers. METHODS: All cases of work-related skin diseases diagnosed from 1991 to 1999 were included in the statistics. Compensation records of the Agricultural Social Insurance Fund were analyzed for diagnoses, causative factors, and health impairment of the skin. RESULTS: The first occupational dermatosis was registered in 1992. Until the end of 1999, there were 101 cases (63 women and 38 men). The incidence rose from 0.006/10000/year in 1992 to 0.189/10000/year in 1999. Allergic contact dermatitis was the most common diagnosis (86%), followed by infectious skin diseases (10%), irritant contact dermatitis (3%), and urticaria (2%). The most frequently identified causative factors were plant dusts (38%), animal allergens (36%), metals (29%), pesticides (18%), and rubber chemicals (15%). The median impairment due to skin disease was 20% (range 2-36%). CONCLUSIONS: Since the introduction of workers' compensation, the numbers of occupational dermatoses diagnosed in Polish private farmers have increased rapidly. However, compared to countries with a longer experience in this field, these figures remain low, probably due to low detection of these diseases.

Agricultural Workers' Diseases↗

Analysis of construction injury burden by type of work.

BACKGROUND: To lay groundwork for identifying patterns of injury etiology, we sought to describe injury experience associated with types of work performed at construction sites by examining workers' compensation (WC) claims for the 32,081 construction workers who built Denver International Airport (DIA). METHODS: Injury rates and WC payment rates were calculated for 25 types of work based on claims and payroll data reported to DIA's owner-controlled insurance program according to National Council on Compensation Insurance job classifications. By linking DIA claims with corresponding lost-work-time (LWT) claims filed with Colorado's Workers' Compensation Division, we were also able to obtain and examine both total and median lost days for each type of work. RESULTS: Injury experience varied widely among the types of construction work. Workers building elevators and conduits and installing glass, metal, or steel were at particularly high risk of both LWT and non-LWT injury. Median days lost by injured workers was highest (202 days) for driving/trucking. Median days lost for most types of work was much greater than previously reported for construction: 40 days or more for 18 of the 25 types of work analyzed. WC payment rates reflect both number and severity of injuries and were generally not significantly different from expected losses. They were, however, significantly higher than expected for driving/trucking, metal/steel installation, inspection/analysis, and elevator construction. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of injury data by type of work allows targeting of safety resources to high risk construction work and would be useful in prospective surveillance at large construction sites with centrally administered workers' compensation plans.

Absenteeism↗

[Switching sickness funds and risk compensation mechanisms in the statutory health insurance system in Germany--empirical results from the cooperative health research in the region of Augsburg (KORA)].

Since 1996, all citizens of the Federal Republic of Germany who are insured in the statutory health insurance system are entitled to switch their sickness fund. The rationale of this regulation was to strengthen elements of competition in this system in order to stimulate the sickness funds to improve the efficiency of health care and to respond to consumers' preferences. Simultaneously, to avoid the implicit incentives for sickness funds to engage in risk selection, a risk compensation mechanism was introduced, including as morbidity-related risk adjusters age, sex and incapacity to work. Based on the KORA survey S4 (1999/2001) we take the case of switching behaviour in the region of Augsburg, and analyse whether this risk adjustment scheme was working effectively. The results show that persons changing their sickness fund were characterised by a comparatively smaller burden of chronic diseases and by a less frequent utilization of inpatient health care. Under these conditions, differences in the contribution rates do not accurately reflect differences in the performance and efficiency of sickness funds. Moreover, the migration of good risk to sickness funds with favourable contribution rates threatens the principle of financial solidarity. Therefore, the system of risk equalisation has to be developed towards measuring the risk volume borne by the sickness funds more precisely than hitherto.

Adult↗

Occupational disease surveillance using disability insurance at an automotive stamping and assembly complex.

Sickness and accident-insurance (sick leave) claims at an automotive stamping and assembly complex were analyzed using Poisson regression over a 4-year period to identify occupational health problems. The incidence of lower-respiratory disability (excluding asthma) was higher in painting operations (rate ratio [RR] = 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2 to 6.8), and final assembly and processing areas (RR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.0 to 7.4) at the assembly plant, and in metal assembly (welding) areas (RR = 2.8, 95% CI = 1.4 to 5.7) at the stamping plant. Disability rates for upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders were statistically significantly higher (RR = 3.1 to 3.8) in major assembly plant production areas, as were back disability rates (RR = 1.5). During the first 6 months of new work assignments in painting or final assembly, respiratory problem rates were four times higher than in other areas. Upper-extremity musculoskeletal rate ratios ranged from 4.4 to 5.7 for new assignments in body, hard trim, and chassis areas. Higher rates in new assignments appeared to result from assignment changes precipitated by developing health problems, or from routine assignments to new tasks, some of which conferred high risk and were tolerated for less than 6 months. Musculoskeletal disability was consistent with known ergonomic hazards and paralleled that reported on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration log. Work-related musculoskeletal and other problems can be readily identified from disability insurance claims without dependence on plant medical visits or workers' compensation records. Disability insurance appears to absorb considerable work-related medical and absence costs.

Accidents, Occupational↗