[A simplified occupational health and safety management system designed for small enterprises. Initial validation results].

Background: Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems (OHSMS) are known to be effective in improving safety at work. Unfortunately they are often too resource-heavy for small businesses.

Objectives: The aim of this project was to develop and test a simplified model of OHSMS suitable for small enterprises.

[Study on prevalence of upper and lower airways disorders in woodworkers, using data from medical surveillance reports and exposure registers].

Objectives: To evaluate correlations between exposure to wood dust, upper airways symptoms and lung function.

Methods: We have analysed medical surveillance reports of 197 woodworkers with a median wood dust TWA exposure of 2.1 mg/m3.

[Progress of studies promoted by the MODS collaborative group].

In industrialised countries, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is considered an epidemic work-related disease. We have set up the MODS (Malattie Occupazionali Da Sovraccarico biomeccanico, biomechanical overload-related occupational diseases) collaborative group, formed by epidemiologists, ergonomists and occupational physicians to investigate CTS in Italy, applying the methods that epidemiologists commonly use to understand epidemics. Several studies are already ongoing.

[Arterial hypertension in relation to life style and other cardiovascular risk factors. Epidemiologic study of a population of blood donors. Project AVIS].

The objectives of this research were to determine the prevalence of essential and borderline hypertension in a population of blood donors and their families and to determine if there is a correlation between blood pressure and lifestyle and/or other cardiovascular risk factors. The study was comprised of 1976 individuals, of whom 1290 were men and 686 were women, aged 18-65 years. The prevalence of essential hypertension was 15.

Hyperglycemia and prognosis of acute myocardial infarction in patients without diabetes mellitus.

The present study assessed the prognostic value of hyperglycemia--a common feature in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction (AMI)--in 330 nondiabetic patients. Seventy-nine known diabetics and 10 (3%) unknown diabetics--diagnosed before discharge by stable glycosylated hemoglobin greater than 6.9% and by oral glucose tolerance testing--were excluded.