Cumulative sensitization and disease in a beryllium oxide ceramics worker cohort.

Objective: We followed a cohort of 136 beryllium oxide ceramics workers from 1992 to 2003, including those who left employment, for beryllium sensitization and chronic beryllium disease (CBD).

Methods: We invited the cohort's participation in current worker surveys in 1992, 1998, 2000, and 2002-2003, and in former worker surveys in 2000-2001 and 2003. We calculated 11-year cumulative incidences (after 1992 initial survey) of sensitization and CBD, both crude and corrected for interval censoring; and period prevalences (including 1992 findings), crude and corrected.

Mental health outcomes in police personnel after Hurricane Katrina.

Objective: We examined symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) personnel who provided law enforcement and relief services to affected communities following Hurricane Katrina.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of mental health outcomes related to personal and work-related exposures of police personnel 8 weeks after the Hurricane.

Results: Of the 912 police personnel who completed the questionnaire, 227 (26%) reported symptoms consistent with depression and 170 (19%) reported symptoms consistent with PTSD.

An occupational health services initiative at a women's hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan.

This article describes the process of developing targeted occupational health services for the health care workers in a women's hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan, as part of a larger project to establish an obstetrics and gynecology residency training program at the facility. The goal was to create a feasible and sustainable program to: (1) address basic health care needs impacting the ability of these Afghan health care workers to optimize learning opportunities; (2) decrease absenteeism due to illness; (3) decrease the likelihood of infectious disease transmission among staff, from staff to patients, and from patients to staff; (4) foster belief that a healthy and safe working environment is a basic right; (5) begin to collect preliminary health status indicators on health care workers in this employee population; and (6) serve as an adaptable program to expand to other Afghan health care workers.

Enhanced preventive programme at a beryllium oxide ceramics facility reduces beryllium sensitisation among new workers.

Background: A 1998 survey at a beryllium oxide ceramics manufacturing facility found that 10% of workers hired in the previous 6 years had beryllium sensitisation as determined by the beryllium lymphocyte proliferation test (BeLPT). In response, the facility implemented an enhanced preventive programme to reduce sensitisation, including increased respiratory and dermal protection and particle migration control.

Aim: To assess the programme's effectiveness in preventing sensitisation.