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The article discusses a study on the proportion of work-injured workers and the payment by the Worker's Compensation Systems in 10 U.S. states in 2007. The 10 states attached a module to their 2007 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey to compute the estimates of the proportion. The results indicated that the proportion is within the range of 4.0-6.9 work-injured persons per 100 persons employed in the past 12 months. It is noted that the study can be used for surveys on occupation injury using the population-based survey.

The article reports on the study on the primary prevention of occupational asthma through identifying and controlling exposures to asthma-causing agent. The doctors tested 39 substances distinguished as causing allergic occupational asthma in the U. S. and equated them with the occupational asthmagens in the Great Britain and Germany. As a result, the execution of an evidence-based identification and regulatory process for occupational asthmagens will help to guarantee primary prevention of occupational asthma in the U.S. These include the establishing identification criteria, providing a list of occupational asthmagens, collecting use, exposure and health effects information, requiring medical surveillance and medical removal protection and inducing development of safer alternatives.

The prevalence of asthma among working adults continues to rise each year. The California Department of Health Services conducts surveillance of work related asthma (WRA) to classify each work related exposure using Doctor's First Reports of Occupational Illness and Injury (DFRs). Using a cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative design, additional interviews were conducted and medical records were reviewed to explore workers' and providers' perceptions of follow up care. Two cohorts were compared: workers with WRA who belonged to a large, single HMO (n = 79) and workers with WRA who underwent follow up outside this HMO (n = 76). The interview asked about providers seen, tests ordered, and the impact of asthma on work. The HMO clients were significantly more likely than the non-HMO clients to see occupational medicine specialists (p = .004) and have pulmonary function testing (p = .049) during initial treatment. Twenty-four percent of clients currently working reported missed workdays caused by asthma in the past 6 months. The findings indicate management of WRA varies by health care system in California. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose Nearly 30% of heart transplant recipients develop de novo donor-specific antibodies post-transplant, leading to an increased risk of antibody mediated rejection, graft failure, and death. Given poor response rates to therapies targeting dnDSA once present, therapies preventing dnDSA altogether could impact transplant outcomes. It remains unclear if the use of induction therapy at the time of transplant mitigates the risk of dnDSA development. The present study attempts to address this question in a multicenter, retrospective analysis. Methods Multicenter, retrospective analysis of 319 heart transplant recipients from 4 participating centers in the U.S. The primary endpoint was the development of dnDSA. Results In the overall cohort, 206 of 319 (65%) patients received induction therapy at the time of transplant, with 200 (62%) receiving basiliximab and 6 (3%) receiving thymoglobulin. Overall 93 of 319 (29%) patients developed dnDSA post-transplant. The use of induction therapy reduced the risk of dnDSA (Kaplan Meier log rank p = 0.009, Figure 1). When assessing induction type, basiliximab reduced the risk of dnDSA compared to no induction, whereas thyroglobulin did not (Figure 2). However, in a multivariable Cox Regression model incorporating the use of an LVAD as BTT, the use of any induction was no longer statistically significant. Conclusion Although induction therapy, particularly with basiliximab, reduces the risk of dnDSA post-heart transplant in univariate analysis, this effect is no longer significant in a model incorporating LVAD as BTT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the frequency of work-related asthma (WRA) and characteristics of individuals with exposure to cleaning products 1998 to 2012, compared with 1993 to 1997. Methods: Cases of WRA from products used for cleaning or disinfecting surfaces were identified from California, Massachusetts, Michigan (1998 to 2012), New Jersey (1998 to 2011), and New York (2009 to 2012). Results: There were 1199 (12.4%) cleaning product cases among all 9667 WRA cases; 77.8% women, 62.1 % white non-Hispanic, and average age of 43 years. The highest percentages worked in healthcare (41.1 %), and were building cleaners (20.3%), or registered nurses (14.1%). Conclusions: The percentage of WRA cases from exposure to cleaning products from 1998 to 2012 was unchanged from 1993 to 1997 indicating that continued and additional prevention efforts are needed to reduce unnecessary use, identify safer products, and implement safer work processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to elaborate the descriptive epidemiology of work-related cases of reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS). Cases of work-related asthma (WRA) were identified in four states in the United States during 1993-1995 as part of the Sentinel Event Notification Systems for Occupational Risks (SENSOR). Information gathered by follow-back interview was used to describe 123 work-related RADS cases and to compare them to 301 other WRA cases whose onset of disease was associated with a known asthma inducer. RADS represented 14% of all new-onset WRA cases identified by the state SENSOR surveillance systems. RADS cases had significant adverse medical and occupational outcomes identified by follow-back interview. In particular, 89% still had breathing problems, 78% had ever sought emergency care and 39% had ever been hospitalized for work-related breathing problems, 54% had applied for worker compensation benefits, and 41% had left the company where they experienced onset of asthma. These values equaled or exceeded the comparable figures for those WRA cases whose onset was attributed to a known inducer. Work-related RADS represents a minority of all WRA cases, but the adverse impact of this condition appears to equal that of other WRA cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]