International Maritime Health最新文献

Background: Impressive advances in artificial intelligence have given travellers a new source of health information. AI-powered tools, such as ChatGPT, allow users to obtain health information in a fast and accessible way. The aim of this study was to assess the readability of ChatGPT responses to questions about health risks when travelling.

Material and methods: Ten Questions about the health risks when travelling in the "Questions and Answers" section of the World Health Organisation's website have been asked 10 times to ChatGPT. A total of 100 answers was obtained and analyzed for readability.

Results: The mean ± SD of Flesch Reading Ease was 35.82 ± 6.46, Flesch-Kincaid grade level was 13.25 ± 1.45, Simple Measure of Gobbledygook was 12.34 ± 1.29, Gunning Fog Index was 13.77 ± 1.34, Coleman-Liau Index was 14.52 ± 1.09, Automated Readability Index was 14.93 ± 1.81.

Conclusions: The readability of the answers produced by ChatGPT was 'difficult' and a college level education is required to understand the text. Lack of understanding of information can reduce the likelihood of travellers making good health decisions. To improve the understandability of ChatGPT responses, it may be useful to generate responses at a significantly lower reading level.

Schistosomiasis is an uncommon disease in European countries, such as Poland. However, the rare occurrence of this disease in the modern era, which is characterized by increased opportunities for migration, may start to pose a risk over time due to the diagnosis of this condition in patients who have imported it from its endemic areas. We report the case of a 9-year-old boy of Cameroonian origin who recently resided in Poland and who presented with recurrent hematuria, abdominal pain, and eosinophilia. Persistent symptoms and comprehensive diagnostics revealed Schistosoma haematobium infection, confirmed by the detection of eggs in urine sediment. In addition, imaging tests revealed renal asymmetry, calcium lesions in one of the ureters, and spinal lesions that are not characteristic of the Schistosoma infection. The patient was treated with two courses of praziquantel, resulting in clinical improvement and absence of S. haematobium eggs in the follow-up urine test.

Background: In recent years, there has been a growing trend of world travel among Poles. Nurses can play a significant role in educating patients about, among other things, the principles of prevention related to travel medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge, self-assessment of the level of competence and attitudes toward potential travel medicine training among Polish nurses.

Material and methods: A cross-sectional survey was implemented using a proprietary questionnaire, that, in addition to questions on nurses' knowledge of travel medicine, included questions on attitudes toward potential postgraduate training in this field. The survey was conducted among nurses from hospitals, primary care clinics and specialty clinics.

Results: One hundred thirty-seven nurses participated in the survey. Respondents with a specialty or those who had completed various types of specialty courses or training had significantly higher levels of knowledge in travel medicine than other respondents. Age (H = 3.51; p = 0.476), length of service (H = 9.291; p = 0.054), educational level (H = 1.479; p = 0.477) and place of employment (H = 2.315; p = 0.678) did not differentiate respondents' travel medicine knowledge. An inadequate level of nurses' knowledge of immunizations for pregnant women planning to travel abroad and the rules of the European Health Insurance Card was observed. The majority of respondents believe that they do not have adequate training to provide care to travel patients.

Conclusions: Given the dynamic pace of tourism development and the increased travel opportunities for Poles, postgraduate training for the nursing profession in travel medicine to increase knowledge and competence in the principles of safe travel should be available. This could translate into increased opportunities to effectively educate patients and provide professional care for them.

Background: Dockers are occupationally exposed to respirable particles derived from organic dust, inorganic dust and/or diesel combustion particles.

Objective: To analyse chest radiological findings in a group of dockworkers and the influencing factors.

Material and methods: Descriptive study of dockers in a port whose main activity is loading and unloading sand. Applying the specific Health Surveillance Protocol for exposure to silicosis, chest X-rays were taken in situ with a mobile unit. Radiographic data taken between 2016 and 2023 are included. The interpretation of the images was performed according to the ILO Guidelines, by radiologists with expertise in this technique.

Results: Of the 268 workers (258 men and 10 women), with a median age of 40 years and an average length of service of 16 years, 43% were smokers and 18% were ex-smokers. Chest radiological abnormalities were observed in 22 workers (8.2%), all males. There were no cases of silicosis. Profusion 1/0 was observed in 5 workers (all smokers, in 4 the profusion changed from 0/1 in 2019 to 1/0 in 2023 and in 1 it was detected in the initial health examination) and in 6 the profusion was 0/1. The rest of the alterations are findings in soft tissue, skeleton or residual pleuroparenchymal lesions.

Discussion and conclusions: The absence of established silicosis indicates that the preventive measures carried out in this group are effective. Of the relevant radiological findings, two are possible tumours and in cases of progression of images suggestive of pneumoconiosis, all of them are smokers. It is necessary to insist on anti-smoking campaigns among workers.

Malaria infections are increasingly resisting drug therapy, indicating the need to address and provide more affordable alternative raw materials for medicines to overcome parasite resistance. In this context, seaweeds are one of the potential maritime resources that can be explored. Therefore, this study aimed to gain an overview of the Gracilaria sp. ethanol extract and its constituents in suppressing Plasmodium parasites in vitro. Seaweed was dried, powdered, and underwent ethanol extraction, then screening for compound content was achieved with a phytochemical method, infrared spectroscopy, and gas chromatography. The ethanol extract of Gracilaria sp. was tested for toxicity in inhibiting the growth of parasites that cause malaria, particularly Plasmodium falciparum strain D37. The results showed that saponins, tannins, flavonoids, and alkaloids were found in the seaweed ethanol extract used. Alkaloids, flavonoids, and derivative chemicals inhibited Plasmodium parasite growth with an IC50 of 43.38 μg/mL.

Background: Indonesia is a country with vast marine areas. It is also part of the world's coral reef triangle, which means that Indonesia has various types of coral reef species. This gives Indonesia a very strong maritime potential. Consequently, many Indonesians work as fishermen. In Pelita Jaya Hamlet, the majority of people work as tuna fishermen. Fishing is a job with high physical activity, so fishermen have the potential to experience musculoskeletal disorders. Musculoskeletal disorders are problems that occur in the human muscular and skeletal systems, characterized by pain, numbness, and limited movement.

Materials and methods: This was an analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design approach, involving a sample of 68 people.

Results: Based on the analysis of this study, there was no significant relationship between individual characteristics and musculoskeletal disorders, with a p value of 0.808 for age, 0.190 for BMI, 0.357 for work duration, 0.618 for work period, and 0.733 for smoking habits ( > 0.05). However, a significant relationship was found between age and musculoskeletal disorders of the back, with a p value of 0.028.

Conclusion: There is no significant relationship between individual characteristics and musculoskeletal disorders, However, there is a significant relationship between age and disorders of the back in tuna fishermen in Pelita Jaya Hamlet, West Seram Regency.

Background: Our group has published two 5-year studies on the repatriation rates of Filipino seafarers from 2010 to 2014 and 2015 to 2019. The Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006, which promotes seafarers' rights, was ratified in the Philippines in 2012. The current study investigates whether any change occurred since then.

Materials and methods: We analyzed the total repatriation rates and medical causes of repatriation throughout the 10-year period. We performed a t-test to compare the repatriation rates in both 5-year periods, and χ-square tests for the medical causes.

Results: The repatriation rate decreased from 2015 to 2019 with a t-test score of 0.0453 (P < 0.05). Musculoskeletal and gastrointestinal diseases, as well as injuries/traumas were the most frequent causes of repatriation. There was a significant increase in the number of musculoskeletal and psychiatric/ /psychological causes for repatriation, and a decrease in injuries/traumas.

Conclusions: A historical review of the 10-year period across the two studies revealed that these changes coincided with implementation of MLC 2006 in August 2013. This was designed as the seafarers' Magna Carta, promoting and establishing various provisions to improve global seafarers' welfare including areas such as minimum age, seafarers' employment agreements, hours of work or rest, payment of wages, onboard medical care, accommodation, food and catering standards, health and safety protection, and accident prevention. Our study shows changes in repatriations that indicate an improvement in trauma rates, and while no method can definitively show statistical correlation or cause and effect, we can safely conclude that there is a positive correlation between the implementation of the 2006 MLC and the repatriation rates of Filipino seafarers.