Bulletin of the Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine in Gdynia最新文献

Estonian National Maritime Board has reported about 16,000 seafarers in Estonia. According to Estonian new national regulations concerning medical examination of employees on board ships issued on 9 April 1998 seafarers are examined only at Estonian Seamen's Hospital by experienced physicians of expertise commission. The validity of the certificates of fitness is 2 years, for persons younger than 21 and older than 50 years of age the validity is 1 year. The medical training of seafrers is carried out according to IMO Model Courses at special training ships and Estonian Disaster Medicine Centre. The International Medical Guide for Ships is used on sea-going vessels which fly Estonian flag.

In this study 29 PVC floor coverings were tested for emission of vinyl chloride (VC) and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A study on the effect of higher temperature on emission of VOCs from newly manufactured PVC flooring was also carried out. The study was conducted in climatic chamber, according to Polish Standard PN-89/Z-04021. GC method was used for analyzing of the compounds emitted. VC was not emitted from any of the floorings tested. Other VOCs were emitted in different concentrations. The influence of temperature on emission was conducted at temperatures of 23 degrees C and 35 degrees C from 2 hrs up to 180 days after introduction of materials in the chamber. The increase of temperature caused increase of total volatile organic compounds (TVOC) emission during 24 hrs of experiment. Then the emission was comparable for both temperatures. After 9 days emission of identified and unidentified compounds (TVOC) showed a rapid decay and stayed on very low level during a few months. The study conducted showed that PVC floorings after 10 days of installation in the room should not be source of indoor air contamination.

In 1997, the information was collected in collaboration with WHO on the actual status of malaria in large ports of Africa, Asia, and America, on the level of endemicity, prevailing Plasmodium species and the resistance to antimalarial drugs. The factors determining the risk of infection in seafarers were discussed. The risk is different than it is for other groups of travellers. The strategy of malaria prevention in crews of ships should be based on balancing the actual risk of infection in the visited ports of the tropics with the risk of side effects of antimalarials used for prophylaxis. Five schemes for malaria prevention in seafarers may be recommended, depending on the geographical areas of the ship's voyage.

In the compass of 20 years 4705 electrocardiograms of maritime industry workers were subjected to evaluation. The population examined consisted of: 780 seamen and deep sea fishermen, 307 merchant marine officers over 40 years of age and 260 officers under 40, 1326 harbour workers who perform light and moderately heavy physical work, 363 harbour workers employed not directly at cargo loading, and 1023 hard working stevedores. The study group was sampled at random. 526 cases of left ventricle hypertrophy were revealed, including: LVH /p/ type--348, LVH /e/--82, LVH /m/--66, and LVH /s/--30 cases. Arterial hypertension according WHO standards was diagnosed in 334 people. 38 people with arterial hypertension showed LVH with ST-T disorders. The highest proportion of LVH /p/ and ecg with traits of vagotony were found in the stevedores performing heavy and very heavy work. In the group of seamen and deep sea fishermen LVH /p/ hypertrophy was manifest in 2.3%, all LVH cases totally in 5.9%, and traits of vagotony in 10.0% of subjects. All the LVH cases with ST-T changes in the study material were associated with the arterial hypertension and few cases with other pathology. Features of LVH /p/ in the groups examined as well as in the individual evaluation were connected with a high level of physical activity.

Malaria infections among seafarers have been regularly reported from Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy, Poland, The Netherlands, United Kingdom and other countries. No statistics are available on malaria infections among crews of ships flying "flags of convenience". The estimated number of malaria cases in international seafarers may be between 500 and 1000 each year; and fatalities among them are reported. This has been an important health problem for seafarers and preventive interventions are essential. In the strategy of malaria prevention in this occupational group the most important objective is to prevent death caused by severe Plasmodium falciparum infections, in which the clinical manifestations occurred during the ship's voyage, and the diagnosis and treatment were delayed. Protective measures against malaria on ships, benefits, risks and limitations of chemoprophylaxis are discussed.

In 1995-1997, 966 fishermen were subjected to medical examinations and their health state was evaluated. In 78.2% fishermen examined no pathologies were recorded and in 7.7% of them defects and impairments not regarded diseases with visual defects predominating were noted. In a part of the fishermen examined the diseases coexisted with the defects and impairments. The major health problems of the deep-sea fishermen were various types of neuroses (8%), arterial hypertencion (4.7%), urolithiasis (0.8%) and musculoskeleted system diseases.