Ergonomics and safety of manual bag sealing.
(65/236)
A variety of seals is used to close bags. Each seal has advantages and disadvantages. For shop assistants sealing bags could be a repetitive physically demanding action. Opening and closing the bags again can cause some discomfort or annoyance for consumers. Besides, it is an activity which can endanger safety, i.e., knives being used in opening, children swallowing the systems of sealing. To prevent these problems a new sealing system was developed. In this paper the opinion of shop assistants, consumers and experts on several bag sealing systems was studied. It appeared that for sealing plastic bags, adhesive tape with paper is the best out of 4 systems, closely followed by adhesive tape. It is discussed that for the elderly, there is still room for improvement in opening bag seals. (+info)
The validity of the mangled extremity severity score in the assessment of upper limb injuries.
(66/236)
The Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) may be used to decide whether to perform amputation in patients with injuries involving a limb. A score of 7 points or higher indicates the need for amputation. We have treated three patients with a MESS of 7 points or higher, in two of which the injured limb was salvaged. This scoring system was originally devised to assess injuries to the lower limb. However, a MESS of 7 points as a justification for amputation does not appear appropriate when assessing injuries to the major vessels in the upper limb. (+info)
Analysis of burned hand function (early versus delayed treatment).
(67/236)
The aim of this study was analyze the results of hand function in adult patients with deep partial thickness hand burns. All patients were treated in Kaunas University of Medicine Hospital in Lithuania during the period 2001-2004. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 79 cases were reviewed prospectively. We divided the studied patients into two groups by the envelope method (A group of early and B of delayed necrectomy and plasty). Two treatment methods--early and delayed surgery--have been analyzed. We present results of analysis of hand function in the periods of 3 and 12 months after the burn injuries of the hands. RESULTS: During the study we ascertain that the deficiency of hand function in group A 3 and 12 months after the injury was lower than that in group B. The deficiencies of hand and arm functions decreased over time. After a period of 12 months the deficiency of hand and arm functions in group A reached 12%, while in group B the deficiencies of hand and arm function reached 23% and 26.5%, respectively. The study revealed that the deficiency of hand function because of wrist and hand burn depended on the age of patient, the area of hand burn, time period from the injury to the arriving to a hospital and time to the operation. The strength of digit pinch and hand grasp was larger in group A. Twelve months after the burn the strength measured in A and B groups was larger than that measured 3 months after the burn. The strength of hand grasp in group A in male patients regenerated up to 76%, in female--61% of norm. In group B the strength of hand grasp in male patients regenerated up to 60.8% and in female--39.36%. CONCLUSIONS: During the perspective analysis it was determined that after periods of 3 and 12 months after the injury the strength pinch and grip was statistically significantly larger in group A. The deficiency of hand function, which indicates the general hand function, was statistically significantly lower in group A. (+info)
Job strain and risk of musculoskeletal symptoms among a prospective cohort of occupational computer users.
(68/236)
OBJECTIVES: Most previous studies of the association between psychosocial stress and musculoskeletal illness among computer users have been cross-sectional and have yielded inconsistent results. The association between a measure of psychosocial stress, "job strain", and incident neck-shoulder and arm-hand musculoskeletal symptoms was investigated among recently hired computer users. METHODS: The participants worked for one of several large employers and were followed prospectively for 6 months. The "job demands" and "decision latitude" subscales of the Job Content Questionnaire were used to estimate the job-strain quadrants and a ratio measure of job strain which was subsequently categorized. Incident musculoskeletal symptoms were obtained with weekly diaries. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate associations between job strain and incident musculoskeletal symptoms. RESULTS: Those in the high-strain quadrant were at increased risk of neck-shoulder symptoms [hazard ratio (HR) 1.65, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.91-2.99] when compared with those in the low-strain quadrant. Those in the highest strain-ratio category were also at increased risk of neck-shoulder symptoms when compared with those in the lowest strain-ratio category (HR 1.52, 95% CI 0.88-2.62). Modification by previous years of computer use was observed, with an elevated risk observed for those in the highest job-strain ratio category who also had low previous computer use (HR 3.16, 95% CI 1.25-8.00). There did not appear to be an association between either measure of job strain and incident arm-hand symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort, workers who reported high job strain were more likely to develop neck-shoulder symptoms. (+info)
Epidemiology of bacterial hand infections.
(69/236)
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to delineate and update the bacteriological spectrum, characterize patterns and sites of injury, evaluate laboratory tests and possible causes of complications in patients with bacterial hand infections. METHODS: All hand infections operated on in the department of orthopedics at Odense University Hospital during the period 1992-2001 were reviewed retrospectively. A standard protocol was used to collect data for each patient. We also examined all laboratory reports and recorded the identity of the etiologic organism, if known, for all cases of bacterial hand infections. RESULTS: Four hundred and eighteen patients (296 men and 122 women) with hand infections were operated on between 1992 and 2001 in our department. The median age of the patients was 40 years (range 1-93). The average interval from primary injury to operation was 10 days (range 1-50). The etiology was laceration/puncture in 35%. The site of infection was subcutaneous in 45% followed by tendon, joint and bone in 27, 18 and 5%, respectively. The bacteria isolated from the patients showed that 184 cultures (44%) were pure Staphylococcus aureus followed by 49 cultures (11.7%) of mixed organisms. Body temperature and C-reactive protein (CRP) were normal in three quarters of all patients with hand infections in our series. However the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was elevated in 50% of the patients and was a significantly better test for infection in this study than CRP (p = 0.002). Neither the severity of infection nor the etiology of infection was related in any way to the initial temperature, CRP or ESR in this study. Complications were noted in 14.8% of all patients, and were especially related to diabetes, and mixed infection. CONCLUSION: Despite modern antibiotics, hand infections with a variety of organisms continue to be a source of morbidity and possible long-term disability. Most hand infections are the result of minor wounds that have been neglected. A complete history and physical examination is necessary to exclude other associated medical conditions (diabetes, arthritis, immunosuppression) that may compromise therapy. Furthermore, our study confirms that Staphylococcus aureus is responsible for most instances of hand infection, followed by mixed organisms. Gram-negative organisms are frequently cultured in patients with diabetes and intravenous drug abuse. (+info)
Teachers' perceptions of and responses to adolescents with chronic pain syndromes.
(70/236)
OBJECTIVE: To examine factors that influence teachers' perceptions of and responses to chronic pain in students. METHODS: Two-hundred and sixty classroom teachers responded to a vignette describing a student with limb pain. The 2 x 2 x 2 factorial design included conditions that varied by (a) the presence or absence of documented organic evidence for the pain, (b) cooperative vs. confrontational parent-teacher interactions, and (c) the presence or absence of communication from the medical team. Teachers rated pain severity and impairment, relief from classroom responsibilities, extent of accommodations the student would require in school, and sympathy for the student and family. RESULTS: Documented medical evidence supporting the pain was the most influential factor affecting teachers' responses to pain. Parental attitude also influenced responses. Communication from the medical team influenced teachers' decisions about relief from responsibilities but did not affect other reactions. CONCLUSIONS: Teachers' responses to students with pain are influenced by situational factors. Efforts to increase school functioning in youth with chronic pain should incorporate attempts to help teachers respond to pain adaptively. (+info)
Modification of the Stockholm Vascular Scale.
(71/236)
BACKGROUND: Staging hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) depends upon accurate reporting of the extent and frequency of blanching attacks. Reporting may not be repeatable and not all individuals classifiable using the Stockholm Workshop Scale (SWS). For Department of Trade and Industry (Dti) coal miners' assessments, the SWS was modified to include a blanching score. Further modifications, which involve splitting Stage 2V into 'early' and 'late' have been proposed but the impact of this on classification has not been investigated. AIM: To investigate the impact of modifications in the SWS on HAVS classification. METHODS: Staging of individuals with HAVS according to the SWS using two modified scales. Two different cut-offs for defining 'frequent' blanching attacks (>or=3 or >or=7 attacks/week, respectively) were used. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-five individuals were staged. Using the SWS, 58 and 31% of the population were unclassifiable using the two cut-offs, respectively. The modification splitting Stage 2V reduced the proportions that were unclassifiable to 2 and 9%, respectively, and increased those classified as Stage 2V. The cut-off for frequent attacks used (3 or 7) affected the proportion of individuals falling into the subdivisions of Stage 2 with 17 and 42% being classified as 2Vearly and 45 and 20% as 2Vlate, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Subdividing Stage 2V enables more individuals to be classified, but the proportion falling into each category is susceptible to the cut-off used for defining frequent attacks. Caution may need to be applied if this categorization is used to make decisions regarding fitness to work. (+info)
Pediatric fireworks-related injuries in the United States: 1990-2003.
(72/236)
OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to describe the epidemiology of pediatric fireworks-related injuries among children aged 19 years and younger by using a nationally representative sample. DESIGN: We performed a retrospective analysis of data from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 1990-2003. RESULTS: An estimated 85800 pediatric fireworks-related injuries were treated in US emergency departments during the 14-year study period. Injured children had a mean age of 10.8 years, and 77.9% were male. Fireworks users accounted for 49.5% of the injuries, whereas 22.2% of the injuries were to bystanders; however, user status could not be determined in 28.3% of cases. The overall fireworks-related injury rate decreased significantly during the study period, but subgroup analysis did not indicate consistent declines among all ages and types of fireworks. Injuries were most commonly caused by firecrackers (29.6%), sparklers/novelty devices (20.5%), and aerial devices (17.6%). The most commonly injured body sites were the eyeball (20.8%), face (20.0%), and hands (19.8%), and the most common injury type was burns (60.3%). Approximately 91.6% of all children with fireworks-related injuries were treated and released from hospital emergency departments, 5.3% were admitted, and 2.3% were transferred to another institution. Bystanders accounted for 13.3% of admitted cases and 20.6% of transferred cases. CONCLUSIONS: Consumer fireworks cause serious preventable injuries among pediatric fireworks users and bystanders in the United States. Parents should be advised to take their children to safer public fireworks displays rather than allowing consumer fireworks to be used by or near their children. A national restriction of consumer fireworks, in accordance with the policy recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, should be implemented to reduce the burden of fireworks-related injuries among children. (+info)