Современные приоритеты в обеспечении здоровья работников ядерно- и радиационно-опасных производств

An investigation has been carried out with the aim to reveal the main causes of temporary disability, invalidism and mortality of Siberian Chemical Combinat (SCC) workers. There has been made an analysis of medical statistics data of the Central health department No 81 for the period of 1951-2001 and of results of psychophysiologic examination of workers in SCC nuclear- and radiation-hazardous areas. Investigations have revealed that a radical (up to isolated instances) decrease of professional pathology occurrence caused by radiation and harmful chemical substance influence had taken place within 50 years of SCC functioning. Today psychosomatic disorders are the main cause of temporary disability, invalidism and mortality of nuclear- and radiation-hazardous plant workers. Psychosomatic disorders occurrence and economic loss connected with it allow to specify the psychophysiologic support laboratories work on revelation and correction of inadaptation states at atomic industry workers as priority.Проведено исследование с целью выявить основные причины временной нетрудоспособности, выхода на инвалидность и смертности работников Сибирского химического комбината (СХК). Выполнен анализ данных медицинской статистики Центральной медико-санитарной части ‹ 81 за период с 1951 по 2001 г. и результатов психофизиологических обследований работников ядерно- и радиационно-опасных участков производств СХК. Исследования показали, что в течение 50 лет работы СХК произошло радикальное (до единичных случаев) снижение распространенности профессиональной патологии, вызванной воздействием радиации и вредных химических веществ. В настоящее время психосоматические расстройства являются главной причиной временной утраты трудоспособности, выхода на инвалидность и смертности работников ядерно- и радиационноопасных производств. Распространенность психосоматических расстройств, связанный с ними экономический ущерб позволяют назвать приоритетной работу лабораторий психофизиологического обеспечения по выявлению и коррекции состояний дезадаптации у работников Минатома

Динамика показателей систолической и диастолической функции левого желудочка на фоне химиотерапии рака молочной железы доксорубицином

Introduction. Detection of the cardiotoxic effect during chemotherapy (CT) for malignant neoplasms is one of the most important tasks of a practicing physician. Purpose: to study changes in left ventricular systolic and diastolic function using echocardiography (EchoCG) during chemotherapy with doxorubicin in patients with primary breast cancer (BC) and to identify potential markers of early cardiotoxicity (CT).Material and Methods. The study included 100 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer who were treated at the health care institution “Grodno University Clinic” (Grodno, Belarus).Results. In the study sample, a number of EchoCG parameters were measured before and after chemotherapy in 100 patients with breast cancer. Depending on the choice of the threshold level of relative reduction in global longitudinal strain (GLS) in %, different median values were recorded in the subgroups with and without CT (before and after chemotherapy). Data are presented on the difference in the relative dynamics of EchoCG indicators in % between the subgroups with CT and without CT, which shows how large the differences between the subgroups are in % after the end of chemotherapy. Against the background of the absence of statistically significant differences, trends towards an increase or decrease in indicators were recorded, which can characterize them as potential CT markers.Conclusion. We hypothesize that indexed end-systolic volume, indexed end-diastolic volume, early diastolic peak velocity of lateral mitral annulus motion may be considered as potential CT markers in the subclinical stage along with GLS; if it is impossible to measure a relative decrease in GLS, these indicators collectively may indicate the development of a CT effect at the subclinical stage. When diagnosing a relative decrease in the GLS index by less than 15 %, but by more than 10 %, we propose to consider the indexed end-systolic volume index as a marker of the early CT effect if its increase after the end of chemotherapy is recorded by 10 % or more, respectively.Введение. Выявление кардиотоксического эффекта на фоне химиотерапии (ХТ) злокачественных новообразований является одной из важнейших задач практикующего врача.Цель исследования – изучить изменения показателей систолической и диастолической функции левого желудочка методом эхокардиографии (ЭхоКГ) на фоне ХТ доксорубицином у пациенток с первичным раком молочной железы (РМЖ) и выявить потенциальные маркеры ранней кардиотоксичности (КТ). Материал и методы. В исследование включено 100 пациенток с верифицированным раком молочной железы, проходивших лечение на базе учреждения здравоохранения «Гродненская университетская клиника» (Гродно, Беларусь).Результаты. В исследуемой выборке у 100 пациенток с РМЖ до и после ХТ измерили ряд показателей ЭхоКГ. В зависимости от выбора порогового уровня относительного снижения глобальной продольной деформации миокарда (global longitudinal strain, GLS) в % зафиксированы различные значения медиан в подгруппах с КТ и без КТ (до и после ХТ). Представлены данные о разности относительной динамики показателей ЭхоКГ в % между подгруппами с КТ и без КТ, что показывает, насколько велики различия между подгруппами в % после окончания ХТ. На фоне отсутствия статистически значимых отличий зафиксированы тенденции к росту или снижению показателей, что может характеризовать их как потенциальные маркеры КТ на раннем этапе.Заключение. Таким образом, индексированный конечный систолический объем, пиковая скорость раннедиастолического движения латеральной части митрального фиброзного кольца могут представлять интерес для диагностики КТ на ранних этапах; в случае невозможности измерения относительного снижения GLS данные показатели совокупно могут указывать на развитие КТ эффекта. Учитывая разнонаправленность изменений показателей ЭхоКГ, с целью подтверждения ранней КТ требуется построение многофакторных моделей, в том числе моделей классификаций

Cardiotoxicity of Freon among refrigeration services workers: comparative cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Freon includes a number of gaseous, colorless chlorofluorocarbons. Although freon is generally considered to be a fluorocarbon of relatively low toxicity; significantly detrimental effects may occur upon over exposure. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether occupational exposure to fluorocarbons can induce arterial hypertension, myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrhythmias, elevated levels of plasma lipids and renal dysfunction.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted at the cardiology clinic of the Suez Canal Authority Hospital (Egypt). The study included 23 apparently healthy male workers at the refrigeration services workshop who were exposed to fluorocarbons (FC 12 and FC 22) and 23 likewise apparently healthy male workers (unexposed), the control group. All the participants were interviewed using a pre-composed questionnaire and were subjected to a clinical examination and relevant laboratory investigations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no significant statistical differences between the groups studied regarding symptoms suggesting arterial hypertension and renal affection, although a significantly higher percentage of the studied refrigeration services workers had symptoms of arrhythmias. None of the workers had symptoms suggesting coronary artery disease. Clinical examination revealed that the refrigeration services workers had a significantly higher mean pulse rate compared to the controls, though no significant statistical differences were found in arterial blood pressure measurements between the two study groups. Exercise stress testing of the workers studied revealed normal heart reaction to the increased need for oxygen, while sinus tachycardia was detected in all the participants. The results of Holter monitoring revealed significant differences within subject and group regarding the number of abnormal beats detected throughout the day of monitoring (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences detected in the average heart rate during the monitoring period within subject or group. Most laboratory investigations revealed absence of significant statistical differences for lipid profile markers, serum electrolyte levels and glomerular lesion markers between the groups except for cholesterol and urinary β2-microglobulin (tubular lesion markers) levels which were significantly elevated in freon exposed workers.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Unprotected occupational exposure to chlorofluorocarbons can induce cardiotoxicity in the form of cardiac arrhythmias. The role of chlorofluorocarbons in inducing arterial hypertension and coronary artery diseases is unclear, although significantly elevated serum cholesterol and urinary β2-microglobulin levels raise a concern.</p

EXPERIMENTAL MORPHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF TOXIC LIVER DAMAGE IN ADMINISTRATION OF IMMUNODEPRESSANT MICOPHENOLATE MOFETYL

Background. Drugs that have an immunosuppressive effect possess a wide spectrum of hepatotoxic effects. Aim of the study. To study the effect of the drug mycophenolate mofetyl (MMF) on the structure of liver tissue in rats. Material and methods. The morphology of the liver tissue of white, outbreed male rats was evaluated. MMF was administered at a daily dose of 40 mg/kg b.w. for 7, 14 days and 7 days followed by weekly drug cancellation. Results. No necrotic and fibrotic processes in the liver were detected in all terms and methods of experimental MMF exposure; the changes were limited to a weakly expressed intra-lobular small-focal lymphocytic-macrophage infiltration and fatty dystrophy of individual hepatocytes. Conclusion. Intragastric administration of MMF for 7 and 14 days can be performed for experimental modeling of immunodeficient conditions, not accompanied with the development of morphological signs of drug damage to the liver

HYGIENIC AND SANITARY-EDUCATIONAL BASICS OF THE RADIATION ANXIETY PREVENTION AMONG THE POPULATION IN THE REGIONS WITH NUCLEAR-ENERGY COMPLEX ENTERPRISES

Background. The development of nuclear power in the countries affected by the Chernobyl accident is accompanied by a high level of radiation anxiety among the local population. The purpose of the work is the scientific substantiation of methodological approaches to determine the level and prevalence of radiation anxiety among residents of regions with enterprises of the nuclear power complex, and the development of a system of measures for their prevention. Material and methods. The features of the subjective assessment of the health and psychological status of residents of the cities of Kirovograd, ZholtyeVody (n = 387) and Volnogorsk (control group, n = 208) were studied. An original method was developed to determine the level of radiation anxiety by qualitative characteristics. Results. A low level of radiation anxiety was found in 52.5% of respondents, an average – in 27.6%, a high level – in 3.9%, it directly correlated with self-esteem of the state of health (rs = 0.134; p <0.10), presence of oncological pathologies in family (rs = 0.209, p <0.001) and the respondent's conviction that there is a direct relationship between cancer and radiation (rs = 0.302, p <0.001). Conclusions. The developed method makes it possible to determine the respondents' attitude to the problem of the effect of ionizing radiation on the health status and group people according to the level of anxiety for further planning of health improvement measures

Visual Crowding and Category Specific Deficits: A Neural Network Model,

This paper describes a series of modular neural network simulations of visual object processing. In a departure from much previous work in this domain, the model described here comprises both supervised and unsupervised modules and processes real pictorial representations of items from different object categories. The unsupervised module carries out bottom-up encoding of visual stimuli, thereby developing a &quot;perceptual&quot; representation of each presented picture. The supervised component then classifies each perceptual representation according to a target semantic category. Model performance was assessed (1) during learning, (2) under generalisation to novel instances, and (3) after lesion damage at different stages of processing. Strong category effects were observed throughout the different experiments, with living things and musical instruments eliciting greater recognition failures relative to other categories. This pattern derives from within-category similarity effects at the level of perceptual representation and our data support the view that visual crowding can be a potentially important factor in the emergence of some category-specific impairments. The data also accord with the cascade model of object recognition, since increased competition between perceptual representations resulted in categoryspecific impairments even when the locus of damage was within the semantic component of the mode