Quantification of ETS exposure in hospitality workers who have never smoked

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) was classified as human carcinogen (K1) by the German Research Council in 1998. According to epidemiological studies, the relative risk especially for lung cancer might be twice as high in persons who have never smoked but who are in the highest exposure category, for example hospitality workers. In order to implement these results in the German regulations on occupational illnesses, a valid method is needed to retrospectively assess the cumulative ETS exposure in the hospitality environment.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A literature-based review was carried out to locate a method that can be used for the German hospitality sector. Studies assessing ETS exposure using biological markers (for example urinary cotinine, DNA adducts) or questionnaires were excluded. Biological markers are not considered relevant as they assess exposure only over the last hours, weeks or months. Self-reported exposure based on questionnaires also does not seem adequate for medico-legal purposes. Therefore, retrospective exposure assessment should be based on mathematical models to approximate past exposure.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For this purpose a validated model developed by Repace and Lowrey was considered appropriate. It offers the possibility of retrospectively assessing exposure with existing parameters (such as environmental dimensions, average number of smokers, ventilation characteristics and duration of exposure). The relative risk of lung cancer can then be estimated based on the individual cumulative exposure of the worker.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In conclusion, having adapted it to the German hospitality sector, an existing mathematical model appears to be capable of approximating the cumulative exposure. However, the level of uncertainty of these approximations has to be taken into account, especially for diseases with a long latency period such as lung cancer.</p

Complicações da cirurgia videolaparoscópica no tratamento de doenças da vesícula e vias biliares Videolaparoscopy complications in the management of biliary diseases

RACIONAL: O tratamento de escolha para as doenças da vesícula biliar é a colecistectomia, cujo objetivo é o alívio de sintomas e o tratamento e/ou prevenção das complicações. OBJETIVO: Identificar as principais complicações da cirurgia videolaparoscópica no tratamento das doenças da vesícula biliar e vias biliares. MÉTODO: Realizou-se busca eletrônica na base de dados LILACS e Medline desde o ano de 1981 a agosto de 2007; foram encontrados 57 artigos, sendo utilizados para o estudo 31 e três capítulos de livros. RESULTADOS: A produção científica submetida à análise de conteúdo evidenciou os seguintes núcleos temáticos: variações anatômicas (3 artigos), iatrogenias (5 artigos), síndrome pós-colecistectomia (1 artigo), complicações raras (3 artigos), síndrome de Mirizzi (1 artigo), complicações pulmonares (2 artigos) e tratamento (1 capítulo de livro e três artigos). CONCLUSÕES: As complicações que podem ocorrer na cirurgia videolaparoscópica da vesícula biliar e das vias biliares têm basicamente duas vertentes: uma é a inexperiência dos cirurgiões com o método laparoscópico (curva de aprendizado) e outra, as variações anatômicas com as quais os cirurgiões, mesmo os mais experientes, podem se deparar.<br>BACKGROUND: The treatment of choice for diseases affecting the gallbladder is the cholecystectomy, whose aim is improvement of symptoms, treatment and/or prevention of complications. AIM: Identify the main complications with laparoscopic surgery used to treat diseases affecting the gallbladder and the bile ducts. METHODS: An internet search in the LILACS and Medline database covering the period from 1981 up to August 2007 was carried out and 57 studies were found relevant. The present work draws on 31 of these studies and one textbook chapter. RESULTS: The analysis of the content of the studies selected yielded the following thematic issues: anatomic variations (3 studies), iatrogenies (5 studies), post-cholecystectomy syndrome (1 study), rare complications (3 studies), Mirizzi's syndrome (1 study), pulmonary complications (5 studies) and treatment (1 chapter of a medicine textbook and 3 studies). CONCLUSIONS: The complications arising from the videolaparoscopic surgery of the gallbladder and bile ducts are fundamentally due to two factors: the surgeon's lack of training in the laparoscopic technique (learning curve), and the unexpected anatomic variations, which even experienced surgeons may face