Screening of voice disorders concerning anatomy teachers who use formaldehyde cadaveric parts in laboratory classes

Abstract

Voice disorders are common among teachers and, in particular, anatomy teachers are exposed to a potential enemy for dysphonia, irritating chemicals, that is, formaldehyde. We seek to verify the association between: (1) teaching time, (2) type of cadaveric conservation to which the teacher is exposed and (3) hours of exposure to cadaveric preservative related to the different categories of voice disorders screening (ITDV). The sample consisted of 111 teachers who answered to 02 data collection instruments: I - Sociodemographic Data; II - ITDV. Among participating teachers there were 71 male and 40 female, with an average age of 43 years and 11 months and an average teaching time of 16 years and 5 months. Association tests between teaching time and ITDV demonstrate a significant result in the relationship between voice failure and teaching time (p < 0.05). All 111 teachers use their voices in laboratory classes and use cadaveric material. From those, 107 teachers are exposed to formaldehyde as cadaveric parts’ conservative solution. There was a significant association (p < 0.05) between voice failure and the type of cadaveric conservative solution but non-significant relationship (p > 0.05) between ITDV and the time of exposure to formaldehyde preservative. Teachers’ ITDV showed vocal signs and symptoms. In particular, voice loss due to time of teaching in anatomy, and voice failure, due to exposure to formaldehyde and combinations used in anatomical parts and cadavers, were significant.