Wirtschaftswachstum und die Inzidenz von Arbeitsunfällen in Österreich

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper was to analyze the impact of economic growth measured by real gross domestic product (GDP) on the incidence of occupational injuries in Austria. METHODS: The relationship between GDP and the occupational injury rate of the wage-earning population between 1955 and 2004 was analyzed using an error correction model. The sample size increased from 1.568,371 persons in 1955 to 2.656,952 in 2004. Occupational injuries were divided into fatal and non-fatal injuries. RESULTS: Occupational injuries (fatal and non-fatal) decreased from 8.59% to 4.08%: non-fatal injuries decreased from 8.56% to 4.07%; fatal injuries decreased from 0.03% to 0.01%. Austrian GDP increased from EUR 37.7 billion to EUR 202.8 billion (base year 1995). Statistical analysis clearly shows that a growing economy is associated with declining injury rates (fatal and non-fatal). Two mechanisms are discussed. Firstly, rising GDP is accompanied by greater investment in safer technologies and occupational safety measures. Secondly, booming economies are associated with a reduced risk of unemployment, which is already known to be a risk factor for occupational injuries. CONCLUSIONS: Economic development appears to have an impact on the incidence of occupational injuries in Austria. Health policy should emphasize the necessity for safety at work particularly in phases of economic slowdown. (author's abstract

Levels of soluble FcγRIII correlate with disease severity in sepsis

Neutrophil activation is thought to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of sepsis. During activation, neutrophils adhere to and migrate through the endothelium. Therefore, the amount of circulating neutrophils does not adequately reflect the total amount of neutrophils that are involved in the pathophysiologic process of this condition. In this study we test the hypothesis that the severity of sepsis is associated with the total body mass of neutrophils as reflected in the plasma concentration of soluble Fcγ receptor type III (sFcγRIII). Nineteen patients with sepsis (12 male, seven female, median age of 69 years, range 29–87 years) were included in this study. Ten healthy volunteers served as controls. Plasma sFcγRIII concentrations were measured by ELISA. Other parameters that were studied were leucocyte count, plasma concentrations of lactoferrin and soluble l-selectin, and surface expression of CD11b and CD66b on circulating neutrophils. Disease activity was measured using the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score. Soluble FcγRIII levels were elevated in sepsis patients whereas soluble l-selectin levels were moderately decreased compared with healthy controls. Markers of cell activation were significantly increased in sepsis patients. Soluble FcγRIII correlated with disease severity as measured by the APACHE score (P < 0.05, r = 0.53), whereas the other parameters did not correlate with the APACHE score. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that soluble FcγRIII is a useful marker for disease severity in patients with sepsis