The potential for biological, chemical, radiological, or nuclear terrorism has been widely acknowledged since the events of September 11, 2001. Terrorists' use of a radiological dispersal device (RDD), or dirty bomb, is considered to be a threat for which Americans must prepare. Occupational health nurses must have the knowledge and skill set to plan for, respond to, and recover from a radiologic event potentially affecting significant numbers of first responders as well as businesses and their workers. This article describes the hazards related to RDDs and provides resources supporting occupational health nurses' roles in such events occurring near or at their workplaces. Occupational health nurses are prepared to assess and treat RDD causalities using current information to identify signs and symptoms of exposed and contaminated RDD victims. Decontamination, treatment, and recovery methods for workers and businesses affected by an RDD event are described.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3928/08910162-20090301-03 | DOI Listing |
J Radiol Prot
January 2025
The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND.
Epidemiological studies of nuclear industry workers are of substantial importance to understanding the risk of cancer consequent to low-level exposure to radiation, and these studies should provide vital evidence for the construction of the international system of radiological protection. Recent studies involve large numbers of workers and include health outcomes for workers who accumulated moderate (and even high) doses over prolonged periods while employed during the earlier years of the nuclear industry. The interpretation of the findings of these recent studies has proved to be disappointingly difficult.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAustralas Psychiatry
January 2025
Consortium of Australian-Academic Psychiatrists for Independent Policy and Research Analysis (CAPIPRA), Canberra, ACT, Australia.
Objective: The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare publishes statistical indicator reports on the specialised mental health workforce. These include data for 2022-2023 on psychiatrists, mental health nurses, mental health occupational therapists, psychologists and mental health social workers. We provide a brief commentary on these reports, reflecting upon the implications of such changes for psychiatric practice and patient care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Equity Research and Innovation Center, Section of General Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.
Background: Accurate assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is crucial for effective prevention and resource allocation. However, few CVD risk estimation tools consider social determinants of health (SDoH), despite their known impact on CVD risk. We aimed to estimate 10-year CVD risk in the Eastern Caribbean Health Outcomes Research Network Cohort Study (ECS) across multiple risk estimation instruments and assess the association between SDoH and CVD risk.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Escherichia coli is one of the critical One Health pathogens due to its vast array of virulence and antimicrobial resistance genes. This study used multiplex PCR to determine the occurrence of virulence genes bfp, ompA, traT, eaeA, and stx1 among 50 multidrug-resistant (MDR) E. coli isolates from humans (n = 15), animals (n = 29), and the environment (n = 6) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPLoS One
January 2025
School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Background: Occupational burnout, resulting from long-term exposure to work-related stressors, is a significant risk factor for both physical and mental health of employees. Most research on burnout focuses on routine situations, with less attention given to its causes and manifestations during prolonged national crises such as war. According to the Conservation of Resources theory, wartime conditions are associated with a loss of resources, leading to accelerated burnout.
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