Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology最新文献

{"title":"Correction: A kinematic posture analysis of neurological assistants in their daily working practice-a pilot study.","authors":"Anne Bijanzadeh, Ingo Hermanns, Rolf Ellegast, Laura Fraeulin, Fabian Holzgreve, Stefanie Mache, David A Groneberg, Daniela Ohlendorf","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00375-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-023-00375-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10280936/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9700511","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Managers perception of hospital employees' effort-reward imbalance.","authors":"Meike Heming,&nbsp;Johannes Siegrist,&nbsp;Rebecca Erschens,&nbsp;Melanie Genrich,&nbsp;Nicole R Hander,&nbsp;Florian Junne,&nbsp;Janna K Küllenberg,&nbsp;Andreas Müller,&nbsp;Britta Worringer,&nbsp;Peter Angerer","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00376-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-023-00376-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Hospitals are frequently associated with poor working conditions that can lead to work stress and increase the risk for reduced employee well-being. Managers can shape and improve working conditions and thereby, the health of their teams. Thus, as a prerequisite, managers need to be aware of their employees' stress levels. This study had two objectives: At first, it aimed to test the criterion validity of the Effort-Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire measuring psychosocial workload in hospital employees. Secondly, mean scales of the ERI questionnaire filled in by employees were compared with mean scales of an adapted ERI questionnaire, in which managers assessed working conditions of their employees.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Managers (n = 141) from three hospitals located in Germany assessed working conditions of their employees with an adapted external, other-oriented questionnaire. Employees (n = 197) of the mentioned hospitals completed the short version of the ERI questionnaire to assess their working conditions. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were applied to test factorial validity, using the ERI scales for the two study groups. Criterion validity was assessed with multiple linear regression analysis of associations between ERI scales and well-being among employees.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The questionnaires demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties in terms of internal consistency of scales, although some indices of model fit resulting from CFA were of borderline significance. Concerning the first objective, effort, reward, and the ratio of effort-reward imbalance were significantly associated with well-being of employees. With regard to the second objective, first tentative findings showed that managers' ratings of their employees' effort at work was quite accurate, whereas their reward was overestimated.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>With its documented criterion validity the ERI questionnaire can be used as a screening tool of workload among hospital employees. Moreover, in the context of work-related health promotion, managers' perceptions of their employees' workload deserve increased attention as first findings point to some discrepancies between their perceptions and those provided by employees.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10246112/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9602108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The association between study conditions and hair cortisol in medical students in Germany - a cross-sectional study.","authors":"Meike Heming,&nbsp;Peter Angerer,&nbsp;Jennifer Apolinário-Hagen,&nbsp;Urs Markus Nater,&nbsp;Nadine Skoluda,&nbsp;Jeannette Weber","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00373-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-023-00373-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Medical students often experience high levels of stress due to adverse study conditions, which may have adverse health consequences. Hair cortisol concentration (HCC) has been described as a physiological marker for chronic stress and might thus help to identify students under stress and examine the study conditions being responsible for long-term physiological stress responses. This study therefore investigated the association between study conditions and HCC in a sample of medical students.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Fifty-five students from a medical school in Germany completed a paper-based questionnaire and had hair samples collected between May 2020 and July 2021. Study conditions were assessed with student versions of questionnaires based on the Job-Demand-Control-Support model (StrukStud, 25 items) and Effort-Reward Imbalance model (Student ERI, nine items). HCC of two centimeters closest to the scalp were determined by a cortisol luminescence immunoassay. Linear multiple regression analyses were performed to examine associations between study conditions and HCC.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Demands (B = 0.23, p = 0.002), effort (B = 0.12, p = 0.029) and the effort-reward-ratio (B = 0.28, p = 0.007) were positively associated with HCC in separate regression analyses, adjusted for age and sex. Only the association between demands and HCC remained significant when all components of the respective questionnaire were considered in the same model (B = 0.22, p = 0.003).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The results suggest that adverse study conditions may be associated with activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis stress response as reflected by increased HCC. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm these cross-sectional results and examine effects of more prolonged stress due to adverse study conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10228133/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10028184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Musculoskeletal complaints, postural patterns and psychosocial workplace predictors in police officers from an organizational unit of a German federal state police force - a study protocol.","authors":"Daniela Ohlendorf,&nbsp;Janna Schlenke,&nbsp;Yunes Nazzal,&nbsp;Faiz Dogru,&nbsp;Ioannis Karassavidis,&nbsp;Fabian Holzgreve,&nbsp;Gerhard Oremek,&nbsp;Christian Maurer-Grubinger,&nbsp;David A Groneberg,&nbsp;Eileen M Wanke","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00372-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-023-00372-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Police officers are exposed to a particularly high risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and psychosocial stress due to their working conditions. Therefore, the aim of this project will be to assess the occupational physical and mental health of police officers from an organizational unit of the police force of a German federal state.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The aim is to analyze at least 200 active police officers of a state police force in Germany between the age of 18 and 65 years. In a mixed-methods design, a video raster stereography-based measurement of the upper body posture and a modified version of the Nordic Questionnaire (NQ) will be used for investigating their physical health, while the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ) and the Operational Police Stress Questionnaire (PSQ-Op) will be used to analyze their mental health. In addition, job-specific psychosocial factors at the workplace will be assessed (using self-designed questions that were previously evaluated in an expert interview).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>To date, there is a lack of current questionnaire-based data on the prevalence of MSDs in police officers, or of MSDs associated with injuries or psychosocial workplace factors. Thus, in this study, these MSDs will be correlated with quantitative upper body posture data. If these results prove an increased physical and/or psychosocial stress, then the existing workplace health promotion measures should be analyzed and modified if necessary.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10100165/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9311775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differential Risk of SARS-CoV-2 Infection by Occupation: Evidence from the Virus Watch prospective cohort study in England and Wales.","authors":"Sarah Beale, Susan Hoskins, Thomas Byrne, Wing Lam Erica Fong, Ellen Fragaszy, Cyril Geismar, Jana Kovar, Annalan M D Navaratnam, Vincent Nguyen, Parth Patel, Alexei Yavlinsky, Anne M Johnson, Martie Van Tongeren, Robert W Aldridge, Andrew Hayward","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00371-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-023-00371-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Workers across different occupations vary in their risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but the direct contribution of occupation to this relationship is unclear. This study aimed to investigate how infection risk differed across occupational groups in England and Wales up to April 2022, after adjustment for potential confounding and stratification by pandemic phase.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from 15,190 employed/self-employed participants in the Virus Watch prospective cohort study were used to generate risk ratios for virologically- or serologically-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection using robust Poisson regression, adjusting for socio-demographic and health-related factors and non-work public activities. We calculated attributable fractions (AF) amongst the exposed for belonging to each occupational group based on adjusted risk ratios (aRR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Increased risk was seen in nurses (aRR = 1.44, 1.25-1.65; AF = 30%, 20-39%), doctors (aRR = 1.33, 1.08-1.65; AF = 25%, 7-39%), carers (1.45, 1.19-1.76; AF = 31%, 16-43%), primary school teachers (aRR = 1.67, 1.42- 1.96; AF = 40%, 30-49%), secondary school teachers (aRR = 1.48, 1.26-1.72; AF = 32%, 21-42%), and teaching support occupations (aRR = 1.42, 1.23-1.64; AF = 29%, 18-39%) compared to office-based professional occupations. Differential risk was apparent in the earlier phases (Feb 2020-May 2021) and attenuated later (June-October 2021) for most groups, although teachers and teaching support workers demonstrated persistently elevated risk across waves.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Occupational differences in SARS-CoV-2 infection risk vary over time and are robust to adjustment for socio-demographic, health-related, and non-workplace activity-related potential confounders. Direct investigation into workplace factors underlying elevated risk and how these change over time is needed to inform occupational health interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10068189/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10113154","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occupational life-style programme over 12 months and changes of metabolic risk profile, vascular function, and physical fitness in blue-collar workers.","authors":"Nina Schaller,&nbsp;Katharina Blume,&nbsp;Markus Hornig,&nbsp;Ludger Senker,&nbsp;Bernd Wolfarth,&nbsp;Tibor Schuster,&nbsp;Martin Halle,&nbsp;Katrin Esefeld","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00370-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-023-00370-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Occupational health programmes have been successfully implemented to improve body composition, physical fitness and cardiovascular risk. However, most programmes have been small and have not included long-term evaluation. Therefore, we evaluated a twelve-month life-style change programme in a German refinery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We offered a supervised six-week endurance exercise programme (2 × 90 min/week), starting after a two-day life-style seminar. After the active intervention and a half-day refresher seminar, employees were encouraged to continue exercising over one year on their own, with monthly supervised sessions to maintain adherence. Anthropometry, bicycle ergometry, cardio-metabolic risk profile, inflammatory parameters, and vascular function e.g. endothelial function was studied at baseline, after three and after twelve months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 550 employees, n = 327 (age 40.8 ± 9.7 years, 88% males) participated in the study. Twelve-month intervention was associated with a reduced waist circumference (92.6 ± 12.2 to 90.8 ± 11.7 cm, 95% confidence interval for the mean change (CI): -2.5 to -1.1 cm) and a gain in maximal exercise capacity (202 ± 39.6 to 210 ± 38.9 Watt; 95% CI: + 5.1 to + 10.9 Watt). Metabolic and inflammatory parameters likewise HbA_1c and C-reactive protein improved in central tendency at a local 95% level of confidence. Vascular function e.g. Reactive-Hyperaemia-Index revealed a slight reduction, whereas no statistically robust changes in mean Cardio-Ankle-Vascular-Index and mean Ankle-Brachial-Index were observed.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Health education added by a six-week supervised exercise programme was associated with minor long-term twelve-month improvements of body composition as well as physical fitness and a concomitant improvement of inflammatory state. These changes were, however, not clinically relevant and not accompanied by statistically robust improvements of vascular function.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>ClinTrialsGov: NCT01919632; date of registration: August 9, 2013; retrospectively registered.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10031996/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9171342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sickness absenteeism among primary health care workers in Qatar before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Asma Ali Al-Nuaimi,&nbsp;Sami Abdeen,&nbsp;Muna Abed Alah,&nbsp;Sameera AlHajri,&nbsp;Sandy Semaan,&nbsp;Mohamed Ghaith Al-Kuwari","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00369-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-023-00369-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To explore the patterns, trends, nature, and extent of changes in sickness absence among health care workers (HCWs) at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) in Qatar-during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to previous years and uncover the main associated factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective analysis of all sick leaves' records of PHCC HCWs regardless of their profession from January 2019 till August 2021.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 41,132 sick leaves were taken during the studied period. The majority of HCWs who availed sick leaves were between 30-39 years (45.9%), females (65.1%), and expatriates (65.1%). Compared with pre-COVID-19 (Jan 2019-Feb 2020), Wave 1 of COVID-19 had significantly less incidence of sick leaves per day per 1000 HCWs. While wave 2 had significantly higher incidence of sick leaves compared to both pre-COVID-19 and wave 1. The number of sick leaves per person among female HCWs was significantly higher than that of male HCWs. Moreover, the number of sick leaves per person among locals were about two times the number among expatriate HCWs. Physicians and nurses had significantly lower number of sick leave per person compared to other professions. The rates of sick leaves due to suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection, back/neck pain and gastroenteritis were significantly higher in the second wave compared to the first wave of COVID-19.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Overall and cause specific sick leave rates among HCWs varied significantly across different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 related sick leave rate was higher during the second wave compared to first one. By addressing the root causes of sick leaves, it is possible to reduce the burden on HCWs and ensure their continued ability to provide essential care to those in need.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10018637/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9131040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Clinical outcomes and survival following lung transplantation for work-related lung disease: a single-center retrospective cohort study.","authors":"Chunrong Ju,&nbsp;Yalan Yang,&nbsp;Qiaoyan Lian,&nbsp;Lulin Wang,&nbsp;Xiaohua Wang,&nbsp;Bing Wei,&nbsp;Danxia Huang,&nbsp;Xin Xu,&nbsp;Jianxing He","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00368-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12995-023-00368-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Patients with work-related lung disease (WRLD) are at increased risk of death caused by severe lung tissue damage and fibrosis. This study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of lung transplantation (LTx) for WRLD and compare the results of LTx between WRLD and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-center retrospective cohort study reviewed the clinical data of patients who underwent LTx for WRLD or IPF at our hospital between January 2015 and December 2021. Cumulative survival rates after LTx were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The final analysis included 33 cases of WRLD and 91 cases of IPF. The 33 WRLD patients consisted of 19 (57.6%) cases of silicosis, 8 (24.2%) cases of coal workers' pneumoconiosis, 3 (9.09%) cases of asbestosis, and 3 (9.09%) cases of other WRLD. Pneumothorax as an indication for LTx was significantly more common in the WRLD group than in the IPF group (51.5% vs. 2.2%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the 5-year cumulative survival rate between the WRLD patients and the IPF patients (66.6% vs. 56.7%, P = 0.67). There was no significant difference in the best performance of exercise capacity and lung function between the two groups at 1 year post-transplant.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>LTx had similar survival outcomes and lung function for WRLD and IPF patients. Pneumothorax was the primary indication for lung transplantation in WRLD.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9923919/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10738575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exposure to cosmetic talc and mesothelioma.","authors":"Jacqueline Moline, Kesha Patel, Arthur L Frank","doi":"10.1186/s12995-023-00367-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-023-00367-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aim: </strong>Mesothelioma is associated with asbestos exposure. In this case series, we present 166 cases of individuals who had substantial asbestos exposure to cosmetic talc products as well as some who had potential or documented additional exposures to other asbestos-containing products and who subsequently developed mesothelioma.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were gathered for all subjects referred to an occupational and environmental medicine specialist as part of medicolegal review. Years of total cosmetic talcum powder usage was noted as well as the latency from the onset of talcum powder use to the mesothelioma diagnosis. Alternate asbestos exposure in addition to the exposure from cosmetic talc was categorized as none, possible, likely, and definite.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In 122 cases, the only known exposure to asbestos was from cosmetic talc. For 44 cases, potential or documented alternate exposures in addition to the cosmetic talc were described.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Cumulative exposure to asbestos leads to mesothelioma; for individuals with mixed exposures to asbestos, all exposures should be considered. Use of cosmetic talc is often overlooked as a source of asbestos exposure. All individuals with mesothelioma should have a comprehensive history of asbestos exposure, including cosmetic talc exposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"18 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2023-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9847157/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10555568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hospital admissions due to snake envenomation in the Republic of Cyprus: a 7-year retrospective review.","authors":"Daniel Jestrzemski, Maria Athanasiadou, Vasos Scoutellas, Parviz Ghezellou, Bernhard Spengler, Frank Gessler, Ulrich Kuch","doi":"10.1186/s12995-022-00363-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12995-022-00363-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Snake envenomation is a major neglected tropical disease, lacking data in many countries including Cyprus, a Mediterranean island inhabited by the medically important blunt-nosed viper (Macrovipera lebetina). Reviewing the 2013-2019 period, we present first-time epidemiological snakebite data in the Republic of Cyprus.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We obtained data on snake envenomation-related hospital admissions from the Ministry of Health, and population and rainfall data from the Statistical Service of Cyprus and Department of Meteorology websites. Human-viper conflict information was acquired from interviews with 12 representatives of Cypriot institutions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Between 2013 and 2019, 288 snake envenomation cases were admitted to public hospitals, averaging 41 people annually. The minimum was 29 cases (2017) and the maximum was 58 (2015). Snake envenomation incidence increased from 4.55 per 100,000 population (2013) to 6.84 (2015), but remained low since 2017 (3.49 in 2019). Between 2000 and 2018, the deaths of one man (73 years), and indirectly, one woman (77 years), were related to snake envenomation. While 266 cases (92%) happened between April and October (the blunt-nosed viper activity period), most envenomations occurred in September (cumulative for 2013-2019), with 88 cases (31%). Snakebite incidence peaked in the 60-69 years age group (9.19 per 100,000 population), and was higher in males (6.85) than in females (2.82). Of all admitted patients, 242 (84%) were discharged within 4 days. Mean hospital stay duration was 2.65 days, with one case of 13 days. Most patients were admitted to the general hospitals in Paphos (51%), Limassol (30%) and Nicosia (11%), which provide secondary healthcare, with the last one providing tertiary healthcare.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Snakebite-related deaths are very rare in the Republic of Cyprus. Most envenomation cases happened in late summer (September). Short hospital stays indicate mostly non-severe clinical courses. The hospital admission data suggest that snake envenomation risk is highest in Paphos district. The statistical data hint at males and middle- to older-aged people being at highest risk, whereas from our interview data we assume that outdoor workers are at higher risk than other occupational groups.</p>","PeriodicalId":48903,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology","volume":"17 1","pages":"25"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2022-12-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9768951/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10413561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}