Regarding the widely distribution of respiratory exposure hazards in occupational settings, workers have an increased risk for chronic lung diseases. For assessing the quality of life and lung function in workers exposed to chemicals and dust, St George�s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) and spirometry were performed among 40 patients, admitted in Occupational Clinic Department of Colentina Hospital, Bucharest, Romania, during February, 2017. SGRQ showed different predictors for patients according to their occupational exposure and total symptoms score correlated better with decreased spirometric parameters in defining lung function deterioration. Quality of life is earlier affected than lung function deterioration and emphasises the need of more sensitive methods for an earlier identification and better evaluation of respiratory hazards in different workplaces.
The serum enzymes are ideal diagnostic or prediction markers. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), a mitochondrial and cytoplasmic enzyme, is one of the well-known markers of hepatic, myocardial or skeletal muscle cytolysis, while alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is mainly a hepatic cytoplasmic enzyme. The normal plasmatic values of AST and of ALT reflect a physiological cell turnover. Therefore, both high and low levels of serum liver enzymes might have a clinical significance. We have conducted a retrospective study targeting the association between the serum AST and ALT levels and the lung function impairment among patients with occupational asthma but without hepatic, cardiac, renal or muscular disorders. Our data show a significant relation (R = 0.54, p [0.05) between the parameters of obstructive ventilator syndrome and AST and ALT levels, respectively (R =0.42, p [0.05). If this relation is confirmed in prospective studies, serum AST and ALT could become useful markers in monitoring asthma patients.
Sleep Apnea Syndrome (SAS) constitutes a healthcare issue of major importance at international level with a prevalence of 5% in the active population. Consequentially to the induced co-morbidities, the mortality reaches as high as 39% at eight years time lapse from the initial diagnostic. Seldom undiagnosed, the severity spectrum of SAS, in the absence of therapy, only continues to amplify. Here below, we are presenting the case of a 49 years old patient, railroad controller worker, non-smoker and occasionally alcohol user, who was hospitalized in our Clinic for Occupational Medicine. During last year, the patient was accusing excessive daytime somnolence, breath arrests during sleep, intense snoring, morning headaches, morning oral dryness, pin point chest pain, nocturia (4-5 nocturnal urination), concentration difficulties and an overall reduced work capacity. The presumptive diagnostic of Obstructive Sleep Apnea is being considered based on the correlation between the clinical presentation and the Epworth, Stanford and Berlin questionnaire results. The key diagnostic element was the polygraph recording over an 8 hours sleep period. Positive Diagnosis: Obstructive Sleep Apnea severe form. Management and recommendations: (1) Behavioral therapy (weight loss) and (2) CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) therapy which was instituted immediately after the positive diagnosis was made. As a consequence, the respiratory symptoms, the frequent episodes of daytime snoozing and the concentration difficulties at work place diminished considerably.
Context. Stress is a complex psychosocial phenomenon that significantly influences health. The individual differences in stress response depend on sensitivity to stressors, named “stress vulnerability”. Objectives. The aims of the study were to determine the level of perceived vulnerability to stress and compare stress vulnerability among students from 2 universities in Bucharest: University of Medicine “Carol Davila” and National University of Political Studies and Public Administration. Methods. An approximately equal number of students from the two selected universities completed the Romanian version of the Miller-Smith stress vulnerability questionnaire. Results. A number of 86 (60 women and 26 men) students agreed to participate. Average age was 23.56 years with a standard deviation of 4.86 years. The high vulnerability group included 18 (38%) medical students and 27 (60%) political science and public administration students. The difference was statistically significant (chi2 test, p=0.02) between the two groups. The average health score for medical students (MS) was 15.97, with a median of 15, while for the political science and administration students (PSPAS) the average health score was 24.91, with a median of 26. The average psychosocial score for MS group was 20.41 and the median was 20. In the PSAPS group, the psychosocial score was 26.14 and the median 24. The difference was statistically significant for both health score (p<0.00001) and psychosocial score (p=0.0006). Conclusions: Stress is a common problem among undergraduated students. In this study the vulnerability to stress was higher for students PSAPS group compared to the students from MS group.
During periodic occupational medical checkup, in a sample including all employees from two high schools, a secondary school and a kindergarten, we administered through voluntary completion, questionnaires which assessed the employees’ occupational stress in terms of individual characteristics, anxiety, sense of self-efficacy, work ability, emotional exhaustion and health status (using ShortForm 36 questionnaire). A number of 233 questionnaires were returned. Only the occupational stressor represented by communication with superiors correlates significantly negatively with work ability in all four units. Work ability and communication with superiors also have average scores which differ significantly and are concordant in all four units. In the secondary school, work ability has the highest average value and the lowest average value of “communication with superiors” stressor. The same values are decreasing for WAI in order, from high school 2 to high school 1 and kindergarten while the stressor represented by communication with superiors has increasing values in order from high school no 2 to high school no. 1, and kindergarten. These results show that programmes to reduce occupational stress in school units should primarily address the school unit leadership in order to improve their communication with employees.
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