Showing posts with label Occupational Safety and Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Occupational Safety and Health. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Learning about Antrax
8:06 PM | 
Diposkan oleh
Hermanto
Antrax isi zoonotic infection caused by Bacillus anthracis (an aerobic, nonmotile, gram-positive bacillus). Antrax causes human disease by way of direct animal contact or through exposure to contaminated animal hides, meat or other products. No human-to-human transmission has been demonstrated.
In 1979, in Sverdlovsk in the former Soviet Union, the largest known epidemic of inhalational anthrax occurred; it was later found to have been the result of an accidental release of anthrax spores from a military research facility.
Antrax can manifest to cutaneus type (the most cases), inhalational, oropharyngeal, gastrointestinal, sepsis, and meningeal disease. The cutaneus type is beginning as a nonspecific, erythematous, painless, pruritic papule or macule that appears after an incubation period of 3 to 4 days. This type is usually more severe on the neck or face than on the trunk or extremities. The vesicle subsequently ulcerates and forms a characteristic centrally depressed black chancre (or malignant pustule). For inhalation type or wool sorter's disease, this disease begins with an influenza-like prodrome that lasts for 1 to 6 days, followed by sudden deterioration with dyspnea, strider, cyanosis, and hypoxemia. Spesific clinical manifestation of this type is widening of the mediastinum due to hilar adenopathy.
Laboratory confirmation can be made by demonstration of the causative organism in blood, tissue fluids, and exudates by direct microscopic examination and culture, or by animal inoculation. Another laboratory studies are ELISA, PCR and a rapid hand-held immunochromatographic assay. Drug of choice of this disease is Penicillin that virtually eliminates the spread of cutaneous anthrax and essentially reduces the mortality rate to zero. Another alternative drugs are tetracycline, erythromycin, chloramphenicol, and ciprofloxacin.
To prevent Antrax, we should give vaccination of domestic livestock, prohibition of the slaughter of unvaccinated animals, and burning of animals suspected of having anthrax.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Silicosis
Silicosis refers to the parenchymal lung diseases associated with crystalline silica exposure, including acute, accelerated, and chronic or classic silicosis. For acute silicosis, an alveolar filling process follows heavy exposure within a few years. 5-10 years for accelerated silicosis and more than 10 years for chronic silicosis.
Free silica (SiO2), or crystalline quartz, is still a major occupational hazard. The major occupational exposures include: mining, employment in abrasive industries (e.g. stone, clay, glass, and cement manufacturing), packing of silica flour, stonecutting, foundry work.People with acute silicosis presents with rapidly progressive dyspnea, they are also at increased risk for mycobacterial infection (with weight loss and fever manifestation).
The diagnosis of chronic silicosis is made on the basis of characteristic radiographic findings and history of employment in a job associated with exposure to silica-containing dust. But we must consider another differential diagnosis for lung masses such as lung cancer, mycobacterial infection.
The chest radiography of chronic silicosis shows small nodules that tend to predominate in the upper lobes. Calcification of the nodules is rare, as is so-called eggshell calcification of enlarged hilar nodes. In acute silicosis, we can find widespread consolidation in chest radiograph. CT may be helpful both in identifying nodules, which are preferentially located in the posterior aspect of the upper lobes, as well as in identifying larger opacities and more coalescence than might be noted on regular chest x-rays.Treatment of silicosis are supportive therapy such as oxygen and rehabilitation. Diagnosis and treatment of mycobacterial infection also important, because silicosis can increase risk factor of this infection.
The prognosis of accelerated silicosis and acute silicosis is poor because of progressiveness loss of lung function. For chronic silicosis, it can lead to progressive impairment and respiratory failure.
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