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Occupational skin cancer may manifest when employees are under exposure to one specific carcinogenic substance or more in the workplace. Workplaces often have higher concentrations of carcinogens compared to any other setting. The most common causes of skin cancer in the workplace are ultraviolet radiation, ionizing radiation, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and arsenic. However, there is only a limited number of studies on skin cancer from occupational exposure. Skin cancers that are considered mainly work-related are non- melanoma skin cancers. Their most common variants are basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell carcinomas, and actinic keratosis. Two factors that reduced the risk of occupational carcinogen exposure are as follows: a better understanding of skin cancer risk factors involved in industrial processes and better control of the use of ionizing radiation. However, the exposure risk to ultraviolet radiation at dangerous levels remains. Worse still, this risk is often not considered. Yet, the prevention and risk reduction for occupational skin cancer requires the elimination of the contact of all carcinogens present in the workplace with the employees' skin. Additionally, to encourage and facilitate the early recognition and management of premalignant and malignant skin lesions, training should be given to those working under higher skin cancer risk, and periodic examinations should be performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and anxiety levels of healthcare workers in Turkey and South Africa and to determine the possible factors associated with anxiety. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 864 healthcare workers in Turkey and South Africa was conducted during May 1-October 30, 2020. The questionnaire included sociodemographic, individual, work-related, and about coronavirus disease 2019 questions. Anxiety was measured with the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Results: A total of 864 people answered the questionnaire, 527 from South Africa and 337 from Turkey. Healthcare workers in both countries have mild anxiety levels, and the median value of the Beck Anxiety Scale score was significantly higher in the participants from South Africa (10) than the participants in Turkey (8) (P = .004). Compared to Turkey, the risk of moderate/severe anxiety was 1.56 times higher in South Africa. Female gender, duties out of work definition, difficulties of chronic illness management, difficulties in accessing the treatment of mental health problem, living with a person who is older than 65 or has a comorbidity, and personal protective equipment support were found to be associated with moderate/severe anxiety (P < .05). Conclusion: In order to reduce the mental health impact on healthcare workers, pandemic readiness plans must take into account working hours and workload, adequate personal protective equipment supply, and measures to provide psychological support to healthcare workers, especially those with pre-existing mental health illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to demonstrate the relationship between menstrual disorders and occupational exposures in female healthcare workers, and to contribute to the regulation and improvement of working conditions of female healthcare workers. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 503 female healthcare workers at university hospital in Turkey was conducted during December 2020-April 2021. The questionnaire prepared using the Google Forms program was sent electronically. Results: Prevalence of dysmenorrhea was 59%, abnormal amount of menstrual bleeding 48.7%, abnormal menstrual duration 32%, and abnormal menstrual cycle length 154 30.6% in 503 participants. Dysmenorrhea risk was 0.79-fold (95% CI = 0.64-0.83) lower in those with advanced age and 1.56-fold (95% CI = 1.02-2.37) higher in smokers; risk of abnormal amount of menstrual bleeding was 3.91-fold (95% CI = 1.24-12.30) higher in those with total employment time of = 20 years and 1.56-fold (95% CI = 1.07-2.26) higher in those who worked with display screens for > 20 hours a week; risk of abnormal menstrual cycle length was 3.46-fold (95% CI = 1.41-8.43) higher in technicians, 2.86-fold (95% CI = 1.24-6.61) higher in nurses, 2.63-fold (95% CI = 1.19-5.79) higher in other healthcare workers, and 2.14-fold (95% CI = 1.42-3.21) higher in those who were unsatisfied with their job. Conclusions: It was found that occupational exposures may increase the risk of menstrual disorders. A plan of action is needed to reduce the frequency of menstrual disorders by preventing occupational exposures experienced by healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ege Journal of Medicine is the property of Ege University, Faculty of Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives. We aimed to determine the prevalence of self-reported symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and associated risk factors among hospital office workers. Methods. This cross-sectional study was carried out between May and August 2021 with office workers actively working in a hospital in Izmir, Turkey. The Boston carpal tunnel syndrome questionnaire was used to evaluate the severity of self-reported CTS symptoms and their effect on the functional status of the participants. Results. The study included 151 people, 68.2% of whom were women. CTS symptoms were reported by 74.1% of the participants, the majority of whom (73.2%) were women. These reported symptoms were mild in 43%, moderate in 24.5%, severe in 5.3% and very severe in 1.3%. Significant differences were found between those with and without CTS symptoms regarding age, body mass index, previous diagnosis of CTS, daily work hours, using a wrist-supported mousepad and perceived workload (p < 0.05). Conclusion. CTS symptoms of office workers in the hospital were associated with occupational characteristics as well as individual factors. These risk factors should be taken into account while planning for future preventive and interventional measures in workplaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Anesthesia / Anestezi Dergisi (JARSS) is the property of Logos Medical Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Blood cells are used as the most sensitive marker to determine the effects and intensity of ionizing radiation. This descriptive study aimed to evaluate the effect of radiation exposure on hematological parameters in healthcare workers who were exposed to radiation in a university hospital between May and June 2021. A total of 339 participants were included, of which 169 (49.9%) were radiation workers and 170 (50.1%) were in the control group. A decrease was observed in white blood cell and neutrophil counts in those exposed to ionizing radiation for less than 10 years; however, white blood cell, neutrophil, hemoglobin levels decreased, and red cell distribution width (RDW) levels increased in those exposed to ionizing radiation for 10 years or more (p < 0.005). A statistically significant increase was observed in the RDW and lymphocyte levels as the years of work experience in the profession increase in the group exposed to IR. The findings indicate that the effect of low-dose ionizing radiation on the hematopoietic system is related to the frequency and duration of the dose. Hematological parameters can be sensitive biomarkers of low-dose ionizing radiation; possible disturbances in the hematopoietic system can be recognized before the onset of symptoms, and necessary precautions can be taken promptly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ege Journal of Medicine is the property of Ege University, Faculty of Medicine and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Harran University Medical Faculty / Harran Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Harran University Medical Faculty and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the level of knowledge about radiation safety, the frequency of the use of protective equipment, and the reasons for not using it among healthcare workers. METHODS The data were collected by administering a standard cross-sectional survey via the internet to 443 healthcare workers exposed to radiation. The chi-square test was used to compare groups. RESULTS The median age of participants was 30 years, and 52.8% were females. Participants comprised radiology (61.4%), radiation oncology (21.4%), cardiology (7.2%), fluoroscopy use (5.9%), and nuclear medicine (4.1%) workers. In total, 90.1% of the workers had dosimeters. Of those who used fluoroscopy, only 11.5% had dosimeters. A total of 20.3% of the workers stated that dosimetry is reliable, and 89.7% of the workers in the cardiology and fluoroscopy use groups knew that they had to wear lead aprons (p<0.05). The rate of thyroid protector use was 100% in the cardiology group, whereas 23.1% of the fluoroscopy use group did not use a thyroid protector and 7.7% were not aware of its presence (p<0.05). Additionally, the protective goggles use in all groups was 6.3%. Of the workers, 20.8% believed in the protection of protective equipment. The most common reason for not using protective equipment was the restraint of mobility capability. CONCLUSION Exposure to radiation is an important issue in terms of work health and occupational diseases. For this reason, workers' knowledge about radiation safety and protective equipment should be increased, and the hospital administration should inspect the implementation of protective measures regularly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]