Medycyna pracy最新文献

Background: This paper presents an overview of a pilot study focused on testing the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR) exercises, within extended reality experiences, in increasing awareness and empathy among university students towards pregnant women, elderly people, people in wheelchairs, and people with some sort of sight impairment. The extended reality experience was designed to simulate various scenarios that reflect the experiences of people from diverse backgrounds, to promote a better understanding of different perspectives and social issues related to some of the challenges tackled by people whose limitations are many times overlooked.

Material and methods: A design-based research methodology was applied and qualitative and quantitative data were collected in samples of 20 students from 3 countries.

Results: Overall, the results suggest that immersive VR applications can be an effective tool in increasing awareness and empathy among higher education students. The use of VR technology can create a sense of presence and immersion that allows students to experience situations that they may not have encountered otherwise. The results attained with the immersive experiences have provided evidence that these solutions can foster a greater understanding of different perspectives and promote empathy towards individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Conclusions: Ongoing research correlated with the Mixed Reality on Universal Design's Secret Service (Mr. UD) project results is already expanding on these findings by testing the effectiveness of VR applications in different contexts and with larger and more diverse samples. Additionally, the research conducted has provided relevant evidence that suggests that VR applications and their inclusion in training programs may help promote behavior change and reduce prejudice and discrimination towards marginalized groups. Med Pr. 2023;74(3):187-97.

Background: The presence of artificial intelligence (AI) in many areas of social life is becoming widespread. The advantages of AI are being observed in medicine, commerce, automobiles, customer service, agriculture and production in factory settings, among others. Workers first encountered robots in the work environment in the 1960s. Since then, intelligent systems have become much more advanced. The expansion of AI functionality in the work environment exacerbates human health risks. These can be physical (lack of adequate machine control, accidents) or psychological (technostress, fear, automation leading to job exclusion, changes in the labour market, widening social differences).

Material and methods: The purpose of this article is to identify, based on selected literature, possible applications of AI and the potential benefits and risks for humans.

Results: The main area of interest was the contemporary work environment and the health consequences associated with access to smart technologies. A key research area for us was the relationship between AI and increased worker control.

Conclusions: In the article, the authors emphasize the importance of relevant EU legislation that guarantees respect for the rights of the employed. The authors put forward the thesis that the new reality with the widespread use of AI, requires an analysis of its impact on the human psycho-social and health situation. Thus, a legal framework defining the scope of monitoring and collection of sensitive data is necessary. Med Pr. 2023;74(3):227-33.

Isoprostanes are a large group of compounds formed as products of free radical oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are isomers of prostaglandin. They are present in all body tissues and biological fluids in quantifiable concentrations. Since 2018, the determination of isoprostanes by chromatographic technique with mass spectrometry is the golden standard of the oxidative stress markers determination in relation to oxidative damage to lipids. The publication is a synthetic review of recently published articles on the use of isoprostanes as a marker of lipid peroxidation determined with the liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry technique. It presents the results of research using isoprostanes as a marker in medicine, in monitoring people working in exposure to harmful substances and in lifestyle research. Med Pr. 2023;74(2):119-25.

Background: Cognitive efficiency is crucial for many areas of human activity. It affects the employees' efficiency and safety at the workplace. An important element of the prevention of accidents at work is the appropriate professional selection, which consists in checking the characteristics of candidates needed for a given position, and for this purpose, a psychological diagnosis is carried out. The aim of the study was to develop tools for cognitive diagnosis that are characterized by good psychometric properties.

Material and methods: Tools for the diagnosis of simple reaction time (Abili-time), choice reaction time (Abili-select), prolonged attention (Abili-space, Abili-digit), and working memory (Abili-langmem, Abili-mathmem) were developed. Validation studies were conducted with 221 individuals aged 20-60 to assess relevance and reliability (internal consistency and temporal stability), and with the participation of 61 in a retest 3 months after the first measurement. Paper tests (CTT, TUS, Digit Span from WAIS-R(PL)) and tests from the Vienna test system (RT, SIGNAL, CORSI, ALS) were used to assess validity.

Results: The analysis showed that the Abili-time and Abili-select tests have satisfactory internal consistency. Analysis of temporal stability showed significant test-retest correlations for Abili-select, Abili-space, Abili-digit and Abili-langmem. Abili-time had slightly lower temporal stability. The temporal stability of Abili-mathmem was not confirmed. Significant correlations were obtained between the results of the developed tools with measures measuring similar constructs.

Conclusions: The conducted research confirms the validity and reliability of Abili-time, Abili-select and Abili-space. Further work is needed on working memory tests, which are noteworthy due to the lack of other tools available on the market to test these functions. Further research should involve more people as well as carrying out standardization work. Med Pr. 2023;74(2):103-18.

Bladder cancer (BCa) and prostate cancer (PCa) are genitourinary cancers which constitute significant health problems in men and in which environmental factors play an important role. Understanding the genetic susceptibility to BCa or PCa and occupational exposure is paramount to improving cancer prevention and early detection. The aim of this review article was to address the scientific evidence on the genetic risk factors and occupational exposure associated with the occurrence of BCa and PCa. The authors identified relevant original articles that have been published between 1994 and 2023. Variations of the following search terms: "gene" and "occupational" combined with one of the following terms: "bladder cancer" or "prostate cancer" were applied for the search purpose. The authors found 342 publications of which 50 population studies met their requirements for gene-occupation interactions. In total, 34 full-text manuscripts were about BCa and 16 about PCa. These research examines the genes involved in detoxification processes of xenobiotics (glutathione S-transferase, N-acetyltransferase, cytochrome P450, UDP-glucuronosyltransferase), oxidative stress (glutathione peroxidase 1, manganese superoxide dismutase, catalase), altering DNA repair capacity (X-ray repair cross-complementing 1, base excision repair, nucleotide excision repair), tumour suppression (TP53 gene), and vitamin D pathway (vitamin D receptor gene). The role of genetic factors in the occupational exposure has not been conclusively established, but it appears the possibility of genetic involvement. Determination of environmentally responsive genes provides important mechanistic implications for the etiology of occupational cancers, and valuable input in occupational exposure limits set by taking genetic susceptibility into account. More genetic research is needed to corroborate these findings and assess their significance in the workplace. Med Pr. 2023;74(2):127-44.

Background: This paper presents and discusses the results of the determination of elemental carbon emitted in diesel engine exhaust into the air of workplaces where machines and equipment with diesel engines are used. In order to assess occupational exposure to elemental carbon (EC) as a marker of exhaust gases emitted by diesel engines, 51 ground-based workplaces where people who operate or maintain equipment with this type of engine work were measured. Measurements were also carried out at 9 workplaces in non-coal mines.

Material and methods: For air sampling at workplaces of diesel exhaust emitting machines and equipment located on the surface, a cartridge sampler without an impactor with a quartz filter was used for elemental carbon determination, while for measurements in non-coal mines the Higgins-Dewell Cyclone FH022 respirable fraction sampler was used. The thermo-optical carbon analysis method using a flame ionisation detector was used to determine elemental carbon.

Results: Analysis of the results of the determined elemental carbon concentrations at workplaces located on the ground, i.e., in car repair shops, and in the steelworks where combustion forklifts are operated, showed that the highest concentrations of elemental carbon were determined at the old forklift workplaces in the steelworks. The determined EC concentrations at these workstations were 353 μg/m³ and 78 μg/m³, respectively. In the non-coal mines, elemental carbon concentrations were in the range of 7.5-50 μg/m³.

Conclusions: Exposure assessment at the surveyed workplace in the steelworks showed the highest 7-fold exceedance of the maximum admissible concentration (MAC) at the position of the combustion forklift operator. At the other surveyed workplaces in the car repair shop the marked concentrations were in the range of 0.1-0.5 MAC or <0.1 MAC. In non-coal mines, the determined concentrations ranged 0.12-1 times the MAC. Med Pr. 2023;74(2):93-102.

Background: Medication administration errors (MAE) are a worldwide issue affecting the safety of hospitalized patients. Through the early identification of potential causes, it is possible to increase the safety of medication administration (MA) in clinical nursing. The study aimed to identify potential risk factors affecting drug administration in inpatient wards in the Czech Republic.

Material and methods: A descriptive correlation study through a non-standardized questionnaire was used. Data were collected from September 29 to October 15, 2021, from nurses in the Czech Republic. For statistical analysis, the authors used SPSS vers. 28 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA).

Results: The research sample consisted of 1205 nurses. The authors found that there was a statistically significant relationship between nurse education (p = 0.05), interruptions, preparation of medicines outside the patient rooms (p < 0.001), inadequate patient identification (p < 0.01), large numbers of patients assigned per nurse (p < 0.001), use of team nursing care and administration of generic substitution and an MAE.

Conclusions: The results of the study point to the weaknesses of medication administration in selected clinical departments in hospitals. The authors found that several factors, such as high patient ratio per nurse, lack of patient identification, and interruption during medication preparation of nurses, can increase the prevalence of MAE. Nurses who have completed MSc and PhD education have a lower incidence of MAE. More research is needed to identify other causes of medication administration errors. Improving the safety culture is the most critical challenge for today's healthcare industry. Education for nurses can be an effective way to reduce MAEs by enhancing their knowledge and skills, mainly focusing on increasing adherence to safe medication preparation and administration and a better understanding of medication pharmacodynamics. Med Pr. 2023;74(2):85-92.

Mass casualty incident (MCI) is one of the most difficult situation in emergency medicine. Due to the specific conditions, MCIs occurring at sea are usually far more demanding than those happening on land. In this paper the authors would like to describe the MCIs, which have happened during almost 10 years of functioning of the Polish Telemedical Maritime Assistance Service (TMAS). First incident concerned a group of migrants floating on a raft on the Gulf of Mexico. The cause of the second incident was acute organophosphate intoxication among the crew of the merchant ship. The third incident was triggered by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It is important to emphasize, that triage system may help in proper management of MCIs. Cooperation of the medical services, such as TMAS, local emergency medical staff, Search and Rescue (SAR) service and military force seems to be crucial in MCI managements occuring at sea. In case of any doubts, change of a course and heading to the nearest port or immediate evacuation should be taken into consideration. The authors believe that analysis of these incidents may help TMAS personnel all over the world to handle MCIs in the future. Med Pr. 2023;74(2):145-50.

Background: A paramedic is a person providing health services in a state of sudden threat to life or health. This profession is one of the most difficult and responsible, and the appearance of SARS-CoV-2 has made working in the healthcare system an incredible challenge. The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the psychological condition of paramedics.

Material and methods: The research material was a database developed from a questionnaire administered to 300 active paramedics. Respondents answered questions about their subjective feelings and questions related to their experiences as paramedics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results: More than half of the respondents were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 and the majority contracted it at work. The survey showed that 11% of the respondents felt very high stress, 38.4% high and 32% moderate. Research has shown that very high, high and moderate levels of stress were experienced more often by paramedics in the 31-40 age group, and little or no stress in the 20-30 age group and paramedics with the longest professional experience less frequently declared experiencing stress at a very high or high level and less frequently experienced burnout in relation to paramedics working in the profession of 1-5 or 6-10 years.

Conclusions: The results of a study showed that performing professional duties during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic may have influenced paramedics' perceptions of their psychological condition, including subjective feelings of stress levels, social exclusion, or burnout. Med Pr. 2023;74(1):9-17.

Background: Chemical substances from the halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons group are used in industry, e.g., as intermediates in syntheses, auxiliaries, solvents in degreasing processes, and laboratory tests. Due to their harmful effects on human health and the environment, their use is often banned or limited to certain industrial uses only.

Material and methods: A sorbent tube containing 2 layers (100/50 mg) of coconut shell charcoal was used as a sampler for air sampling. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry technique and the use of HP-5MS column (30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 μm), an oven temperature ramp program from 40°C to 250°C and selected ion monitoring mode were chosen for the determination.

Results: The established chromatographic conditions enable the simultaneous determination of tetrachloromethane, trichlorethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane and tetrachloroethene in the concentration range 2-100 μg/ml. The average desorption coefficients obtained were: 0.97 for tetrachloromethane, 0.96 for trichloroethene, 0.96 for 1,1,2-trichloroethane and 0.96 for tetrachloroethene.

Conclusions: The calculation of the substance concentration in the analyzed air requires the determination of the amount of substances trapped by the sorbent tube, the desorption coefficient and the air sample volume. Adequate dilution of the extract makes it possible to determine tetrachloromethane, trichloroethene, 1,1,2-trichloroethane and tetrachloroethene in ranges corresponding to 0.1-2 times the maximum admissible concentrations in the workplace air. This article discusses the issues occupational safety and health, which are the subject matter of health sciences and environmental engineering research. Med Pr. 2023;74(1):53-62.