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Biomedical subjects

B S Levy

Publications and source records attributed to B S Levy.

71 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Reye's syndrome.

Although frequently unrecognized, Reye's syndrome is a significant cause of serious illness and death in children. Erroneous diagnoses include gastroenteritis, meningoencephalitis, metabolic encephalopathy, drug overdose and primary psychiatric disease. No specific cure is known but early diagnosis and vigorous empirical treatment may increase chances of survival. Although the EEG may be a useful tool in prognosis, it cannot be relied upon in deciding when to initiate or abandon aggressive therapy.

Adolescent↗

Ongoing research in occupational health and environmental epidemiology in developing countries.

Research in occupational health and environmental epidemiology can play an important role in furthering our understanding of occupational and environmental health problems. Research guides us in the recognition, management, and prevention of health problems. However, in developing countries, where rates of occupational and environmental illnesses and injuries are higher and where these problems are often more severe than in developed countries, research capabilities are less developed. In mid-1990, a project was undertaken to (a) document ongoing research in occupational health and environmental epidemiology in developing countries, (b) facilitate the exchange of information among researchers in this field, (c) stimulate research, and (d) avoid unnecessary duplication among researchers in this field. A questionnaire was mailed, the purpose of which was to learn the current status of research in developing countries and to develop a directory of such ongoing research. The questionnaire was sent to 1,528 individuals. Of the 500 research projects identified, 77% were investigating chemical hazards; 26%, physical hazards; 10%, biological hazards; and 10%, psychosocial hazards (some projects addressed multiple hazards). The chemical hazards studied most frequently were dusts, pesticides, and lead. The greatest number of research projects were identified in China, India, Brazil, Korea, and Thailand. Most projects were descriptive or cross-sectional epidemiologic studies or industrial hygiene or exposure-assessment studies. The World Health Organization has published a directory of the specific research projects that were identified in this survey.

Developing Countries↗

Children and war.

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Adolescent↗

Salud Ocupacional.

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Academies and Institutes↗

Azoospermia and oligospermia among a large cohort of DBCP applicators in 12 countries.

Azoospermia and oligospermia have been well demonstrated among workers exposed to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) in manufacturing and formulation of this pesticide. After DBCP was banned in the United States in the late 1970s, two American companies continued to export it to many less developed countries. In the early to mid-1990s, attorneys assembled a cohort of approximately 26,400 male plaintiffs who, as workers on banana and pineapple plantations in 12 of these countries, had been exposed to DBCP, primarily during its application. These attorneys, for the purpose of a lawsuit against the two American companies, developed from interrogatories a database on these men that included information about stated periods of occupational DBCP exposure. Seminal fluid analysis results were also entered into the database. Analyzing information in this database, the authors found that, after a median exposure to DBCP of three years, 64.3% of these men overall, and 90.1% of men studied from the Philippines, had azoospermia or oligospermia. The mean number of children reported by the men was 2.5 overall. The percentage of men with no children was 28.5% overall. This report represents the largest cohort of DBCP-exposed workers in which adverse reproductive health effects have been described, and the first report of the adverse effects on the reproductive health of workers exposed to DBCP primarily through its application in a cohort of this size. This serious and extensive occurrence of adverse reproductive health effects due to the export of a hazardous pesticide before and after its ban in the United States illustrates a number of needs for monitoring, research, education, and policy development.

Adolescent↗

The future of environment and health: a global perspective.

The future of occupational and environmental health will depend largely on involving all groups in society, thinking globally and acting locally, and developing the popular and political will to support it. It is necessary for professionals in the field to better understand important economic, technologic, sociocultural, and other trends, and to focus their energies on listening to those being served and assessing their needs, as well as educating, advocating, and building partnerships to address these needs. Values, visions, and leadership can have an extraordinary impact on the future of the environment and health.

Economics↗

Environmental health aspects of the microelectronics industry.

This article reviews examples of contamination to the surface or groundwater, the ambient air, and soil resulting from the microelectronics industry. The potential effects on human health arising from such environmental contamination are discussed, as well as aspects of their diagnosis, treatment, and related public health implications. Given the high costs of pollution control, the emphasis must be on prevention, which can be facilitated by a high level of suspicion and by the design of safety and pollution control into manufacturing processes.

Air Pollutants↗