1,721,129 research outputs found
Introduzione ai Lavori del Congresso
No full textA research was performed to evaluate the burden of publications on Occupational Health in health care settings in the last 20 years. National and international literature shows a relevant interest, in particular for biological, biomechanical and psychosocial risks. r In the three sections of this Congress these topics will be discussed in the light of the latest scientific advancements in the field and of recent laws. Moreover, the results of multicenter studies performed on these topics will be presented by three working groups
From lead to manganese through mercury: mythology, science and lessons for prevention
No full textBackground: Lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and manganese (Mn) are well-known neurotoxic metals. The knowledge of toxicity was developed through an extensive amount of research, starting with lead and mercury and proceeding today with manganese. Unfortunately, the consequent implementation of preventive measures was generally delayed, causing important negative effects to the exposed populations. Methods: A review and historical reconstruction of the research development that yielded modern understanding of lead and mercury neurotoxicity was conducted to derive useful lessons for the prevention of manganese neurotoxicity. Results: Medieval alchemists named planets and metals from gods since they were already aware of the toxicity and the adverse effects caused by lead and mercury. Historical lessons learned from these two metals may help to avoid the repetition of further mistakes regarding other neurotoxic metals like manganese. The knowledge and experience on the toxicokinetics and toxikodinamics of lead and mercury is useful and valuable to identify a proper approach to "safe" exposure levels for manganese. Conclusions: Further information is still needed on the early neurotoxic and neurobehavioral effects after prolonged exposure to very low doses of lead, mercury, and manganese. Nevertheless, according to the precautionary principle, effective preventive measures should be already undertaken to prevent the onset of more severe health effects in the population. This is the most important lesson to be learned and applied from more than 30 years of occupational and environmental neurotoxicology of metals
Dalla colica saturnina al rischio moderato
Full text linkDuring the 20 th century, occupational and environmental exposure to lead was among the main relevant issues studied by occupational physicians, hygienists, and public health administrators. During the different decades there was a progressive reduction in exposure levels and in the mean time a progressive reduction in the severity of clinical symptoms due to very high exposure to this metal. During the first forty years of the 20 th century, a clear decrease in the frequency of encephalopathy and paralysis of the radial nerve was observed while abdominal colics and anaemia where frequently observed until the sixties. In the first part of the seventies, there was a clear change in the preventive approach to lead poisoning both in the field of research and in the clinical-preventive and legal field. These successful results where obtained despite the disagreement of outstanding physicians and international renewed researchers and industrial associations. Every successful battle allowed a great improvement in the field of occupational and environmental prevention, but the above-mentioned disagreements caused a great delay in the solution of the problem and did not improve workers', children's and teenagers' health. In Italy, there was a very deep interest in the prevention of lead poisoning which led to very good results in a relatively short period even though the current laws did not help and also nowadays do not help the occupational professionals studying and dealing with occupational health. Lead undoubtly represents one of the most largely studied environmental industrial toxics and shows a model, also suitable for other matters involving exposure to different industrial toxics. Nevertheless, there are still problems in the understanding of some pathogenetic aspects of lead and in the significance of some of its early effects which deserve further studies. These matters, strictly linked to low-dose exposure, still present numerous questions. For example, there should be a deep interest in the standardization of its internal dose indicators, in the study the role of the metal in the pathogenesis of cardiological and nephrological diseases, in the characterization of its genetic polymorphisms and in the assessment of its carcinogenicity. A lot of these issues, already examined in old studies concerning casistics of workers affected by lead poisoning, have been analyzed in the multidisciplinary study "Progetto MIUR Piombo" (Project on lead by the Italian Ministry of University and Research) conducted by six different Institutes of Occupational Health (Cagliari, Parma, Perugia, Bari, Ancona and Brescia) which will report their results during this Congress. © PI-ME, Pavia 2005
Impact of universal vaccination against hepatitis B: the Italian model
Full text linkThis article can be useful for all readers who are interested in public health issues and in methods to assess, contain and monitoring the risk of hepatitis B virus infection as well as for policy maker
The mouse gave life to the mountain: Gramsci and health promotion
No full textHealth promotion and salutogenesis are embodied in people's everyday lives and in their stories. The assumptions of these scientific theories are similar to Gramsci's theory for better wellbeing in a community, where praxis and capacity building for reflective practice is the way forward for an equal global change. By explaining the road for transformation through narratives, particularly fables, Gramsci manages to reach people from all walks of life, from academics to children. One of these fables, the mouse and the mountain, is here presented as a trigger to health promotion action and as a metaphor for salutogenic thinking. The narrative paradigm for health promotion is the context within which the analogies among 'the mouse's plan', health promotion theory, the salutogenic model, empowerment as well as the practitioners' opinions and experience are discussed and presented. In so doing, a 'storytelling bridge' is created between academics, practitioners and other stakeholders from the health, social and pedagogical arenas in knowledge construction environments. Hence, the article confers the possible contribution of Gramsci's educational perspective within health promotion by presenting a practical example of the use of narratives for capacity building. This is described through the interpretation of the same story in a hypothetical speech told by different storytellers, communicating their personal vision of the mouse's plan and so create a narrative-centered health promotion communication for meaning-making and for embracing theories among scholars and practitioners
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