MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective interventional study with a before and after design requested a single group of 96 nurses in 15 wards actively providing chemotherapy to answer a self-administered questionnaire. A performance checklist was then used to determine the compliance of all these wards with the recommended safety measures. The first and second assessments took 2 months respectively with a 9-month intervention period. Pharmacist-based interventions included a series of technical, educational and administrative support measures consisting of the initiation of closed-system cytotoxic drug reconstitution (CDR) services, courses, training workshops and guideline updates.
RESULTS: The mean age of nurses was 32.2∓6.19 years. Most of them were female (93.8%) and married (72.9%). The mean knowledge score of nurses was significantly increased from 45.5∓10.52 to 73.4∓8.88 out of 100 (p<0.001) at the end of the second assessment. Overall, the mean practice score among the wards was improved from 7.6∓5.51 to 15.3∓2.55 out of 20 (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: The pharmacist-based interventions improved the knowledge, attitude and safe practices of nurses in cytotoxic drug handling. Further assessment may help to confirm the sustainability of the improved practices.
METHODS: The panel consists of sixteen experts from the Occupational and Environmental Health Unit of Ministry of Health, Vector-borne Disease Control Unit of Ministry of Health and Occupational and Safety Health Unit of both public and private universities. A set of questionnaires related to noise and chemical exposure were compiled based on the literature search. There was a total of six constructs with 60 items in which three constructs for knowledge, attitude, and practice of noise exposure and three constructs for knowledge, attitude, and practice of chemical exposure. The validation process replicated recent Fuzzy Delphi method that using a concept of Triangular Fuzzy Numbers and Defuzzification process.
RESULTS: A 100% response rate was obtained from all the sixteen experts with an average Likert scoring of four to five. Post FDM analysis, the first prerequisite was fulfilled with a threshold value (d) ≤ 0.2, hence all the six constructs were accepted. For the second prerequisite, three items (21%) from noise-attitude construct and four items (40%) from chemical-practice construct had expert consensus lesser than 75%, which giving rise to about 12% from the total items in the questionnaire. The third prerequisite was used to rank the items within the constructs by calculating the average fuzzy numbers. The seven items which did not fulfill the second prerequisite similarly had lower ranks during the analysis, therefore those items were discarded from the final draft.
CONCLUSION: Post FDM analysis, the experts' consensus on the suitability of the pre-selected items on the questionnaire set were obtained, hence it is now ready for further construct validation process.
Objective: This study assessed the impact of heat on the health and productivity among maize farmers in a hot tropical country.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 396 maize farmers, randomly selected across Gombe province, Nigeria. The wet bulb globe temperature monitor (WBGT) Model QuesTemp036 was used in determining the heat index. Health was determined using a validated questionnaire, while productivity was determined by recording work output based on the number of ridges cultivated during the working hours.
Results: The farms recorded mean heat index with standard deviation (SD) of 31.56 (2.19) and 34.08 (1.54) in the hours of 9 am to 12 pm and 12-3 pm respectively, which exceeded the threshold level set by the ACGIH. Heavy sweating (93.2%), tiredness (48.5%), dizziness (34.1%), and headache (40.4%) were experienced by the respondents almost on daily basis. The finding further showed a significant difference in the farmers' productivity during the three time duration of the work day (p < 0.001). The productivity was significantly higher between the hours of 6-9 am (p < 0.001) and 12-3 pm (p < 0.001), compared to the hours of 9 am to 12 pm (p < 0.001). The factors that significantly predict the productivity outcome include temperature (p < 0.001), gender (p < 0.001), age (p=0.033), and BMI (p=0.008).
Conclusion: The farmers were frequently experiencing heat exhaustion which decreased their productivity.
METHODS: 41 medical personnel performing 79 procedures were monitored for their eye lens exposure using the NanoDot™ optically-stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLD) taped to the outer canthus of their eyes. The air-kerma area product (KAP), fluoroscopy time (FT) and number of procedure runs were also recorded.
RESULTS: KAP, FT and number of runs were strongly correlated. However, only weak to moderate correlations were observed between these parameters with the measured eye lens doses. The average median equivalent eye lens dose was 0.052 mSv (ranging from 0.0155 to 0.672 mSv). The eye lens doses of primary operators were found to be significantly higher than their assistants due to the closer proximity to the patient and X-ray tube. The left eye lens of the operators received the highest amount of radiation due to their habitual positioning towards the radiation source.
CONCLUSION: KAP and FT were not useful in predicting the equivalent eye lens dose exposure in interventional radiological procedures. Direct in vivo measurements were needed to provide a better estimate of the eye lens doses received by medical personnel during these procedures. This study highlights the importance of using direct measurement, such as OSLDs, instead of just indirect factors to monitor dose in the eye lens in radiological procedures.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among male farmers from 3 different communities in Sabah, Malaysia. A total of 152 farmers participated in this study of whom 62 farmers had been exposed to either paraquat or malathion or both to varying extents. Questionnaires were designed to record a history of pesticides exposure and other potential risk factors among farmers. All semen samples were collected, processed and analyzed by qualified personnel based on WHO guidelines. Volume, pH, sperm concentration, motility, morphology and WBC count were examined and recorded. The association between pesticide exposure and semen parameters was highly significant.
RESULTS: The mean values of volume, pH, sperm concentration, motility, and WBC count were significantly less in the exposed group than in compared with the non-exposed group, with p<0.005. Those who were exposed to pesticides had greater risk of having abnormal semen parameters than those in with the non exposed group, with p values of less than 0.05. The comparison between semen qualities such as lower sperm count, motility and higher percentage of sperm abnormality of those exposed to different types of pesticides (paraquat and malathion) showed no significant differences.
CONCLUSION: The results showed a significant decline in semen quality with a decline in sperm count, motility and higher percent of teratospermia among subjects with pesticide exposure, and those who were exposed to pesticides had significantly 3 to 9 times greater risk of having abnormal semen parameters.