Jellyfish stings and their management: a review.

Jellyfish (cnidarians) have a worldwide distribution. Despite most being harmless, some species may cause local and also systemic reactions. Treatment of jellyfish envenomation is directed at: alleviating the local effects of venom, preventing further nematocyst discharges and controlling systemic reactions, including shock.

Infectious disease risk in asbestos abatement workers.

Background: The current literature reports increased infectious disease occurrence in various construction occupations, as an important contributor to morbidity and mortality arising from employment.These observations should be expanded to asbestos abatement workers, as the abatement can create an environment favorable for bacterial, viral and fungal infections.

Discussion: Asbestos abatement work employs activities resulting in cuts, blisters and abrasions to the skin, work in a dirty environment and exposure to dust, mists and fumes.

Osteopontin, asbestos exposure and pleural plaques: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Osteopontin (OPN) is a plasma protein/cytokine produced in excess in several malignancies. In a recent study OPN was reported as being related to the duration of asbestos exposure and presence of benign asbestos-related diseases; however, it was unclear whether this protein was an indicator of exposure or effect.

Methods: In 193 workers, 50 with pleural plaques (PP), in whom different indicators of past asbestos exposure were estimated, OPN plasma levels were assessed using commercial quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassays according to the manufacturer's instructions.

The evaluation of a health education campaign on the use of leave from work during pregnancy.

Background: The Italian Protective Maternity Legislation allows a woman to apply for early maternity leave from work during pregnancy if she is affected by health problems (option A) or if her working conditions are incompatible with pregnancy (option B). A community based health education program, implemented between 1995 to 1998 in North Eastern Italy, provided counseling (by a team of gynecologists, pediatricians, geneticists, psychologists and occupational physicians), and an information leaflet detailing the risks during pregnancy and the governmental benefits available to expectant mothers. This leaflet was distributed to women who were under occupational medical surveillance and to women attending any healthcare office and outpatient department and was also mailed to women working at home as shoemakers.

The Primary Care Practitioner and the diagnosis of occupational diseases.

Background: Rather than a clinical diagnosis, in occupational medicine the critical point is the etiological diagnosis. The first is useful for the therapy, the latter for preventive, epidemiological, regulatory, and insurance measures.

Discussion: As with causality criteria which are employed in population studies, the answering of four easy questions allows a Primary Care Practitioner to establish a causal link between the work activities and a potential disease that a specific patient may present.

Asbestos exposure and benign asbestos diseases in 772 formerly exposed workers: dose-response relationships.

Background: Since previous studies have provided conflicting results, we investigated the relationship between the risk of benign asbestos-related diseases and different aspects of asbestos exposure in previous asbestos workers who underwent low-dose computed tomography (CT).

Methods: CT scans were carried out in 772 subjects. A questionnaire was employed to collect data on smoking habits and duration, peak and cumulative exposure, and time since first exposure to asbestos.

Feasibility of a screening programme for lung cancer in former asbestos workers.

Background: Low-dose computed tomography (CT) has been found to detect more Stage IA lung cancer than chest x-ray.

Aims: To investigate whether lung cancer screening with CT was effective and acceptable in former asbestos workers.

Methods: CT scanning was carried out following the protocol previously described in the literature.

Cancer incidence among male military and civil pilots and flight attendants: an analysis on published data.

Flight personnel are exposed to cosmic ionizing radiation, chemicals (fuel, jet engine exhausts, cabin air pollutants), electromagnetic fields from cockpit instruments, and disrupted sleep patterns. Only recently has cancer risk among these workers been investigated. With the aim of increasing the precision of risk estimates of cancer incidence, follow-up studies reporting a standardized incidence ratio for cancer among male flight attendants, civil and military pilots were obtained from online databases and analysed.