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Biomedical subjects

J A Indulski

Publications and source records attributed to J A Indulski.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

System for analysing sickness absenteeism in Poland.

The National System of Sickness Absenteeism Statistics has been functioning in Poland since 1977, as the part of the national health statistics. The system is based on a 15-percent random sample of copies of certificates of temporary incapacity for work issued by all health care units and authorised private medical practitioners. A certificate of temporary incapacity for work is received by every insured employee who is compelled to stop working due to sickness, accident, or due to the necessity to care for a sick member of his/her family. The certificate is required on the first day of sickness. Analyses of disease- and accident-related sickness absenteeism carried out each year in Poland within the statistical system lead to the main conclusions: 1. Diseases of the musculoskeletal and peripheral nervous systems accounting, when combined, for 1/3 of the total sickness absenteeism, are a major health problem of the working population in Poland. During the past five years, incapacity for work caused by these diseases in males increased 2.5 times. 2. Circulatory diseases, and arterial hypertension and ischaemic heart disease in particular (41% and 27% of sickness days, respectively), create an essential health problem among males at productive age, especially, in the 40 and older age group. Absenteeism due to these diseases has increased in males more than two times.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1997

[The present state of knowledge concerning the effect of electromagnetic fields of 50/60 Hz on the circulatory system and the autonomic nervous system].

Diseases of the circulatory system together with neoplastic diseases are recognised as the major health problem in the contemporary world. Their origin and aggravation may be related to the exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) since theoretically, disorders in the functioning of the circulatory system are most likely due to electric impulses generated in it by external magnetic fields. The nervous system, including its autonomic part which regulates, among others, the functioning of the circulatory system, because of its electric nature is another system which may be disturbed by EMFs. From the 1960s, biological studies on the effects of power-line frequency EMFs have been carried out in many countries. In view of the applied study model, four main directions of these studies can be identified: in vitro and in vivo animal experiments, experimental studies on humans, clinical and epidemiological studies. Experimental studies on animals and humans have yielded ambiguous and very often contradictory results. Some of them indicate that EMF contributes to slowing down the cardiac rhythm and the stroke volume of the left ventricle, other results suggest their acceleration, and still other show no differences. The results of clinical studies performed in many countries in different groups of workers exposed to power-line frequency EMFs have not produced the evidence for drawing unequivocal conclusions. Again some studies reveal that those exposed show disorders in neurovegetative and blood pressure regulations (hypotension or hypertension) as well as in cardiac rhythm (bradycardia or tachycardia). Other studies do not confirm harmful effect of EMF on the circulatory system. Therefore, it is not feasible to find out, on the basis of these studies, whether and how chronic exposure to power-line frequency EMFs influences the functioning of the circulatory system, the more so as ECG standard recording has been to date the only diagnostic method, and according to the present state of knowledge it is not sufficient to assess the functioning of the circulatory system. Epidemiological studies play the most important role in the evaluation of health effects of the exposure to power-line frequency EMFs. These studies have been carried out for fifteen years, however, they do not consider the effect of chronic exposure to EMF of 50 Hz frequency on the circulatory system.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

[Electromagnetic poles and reproduction].

The authors review epidemiological data concerning the relationship between reproduction disorders and the exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by power lines, industrial power-charged devices, diagnostic and therapeutical appliances, video display terminals (VDTs) and electric household devices. The studies involved the analysis of the EMF effect on female and male reproduction, including the risk of spontaneous abortion, still birth and premature birth, low birth weight and congenital malformations as well as on the progeny gender proportion, among persons employed under the condition of EMF exposure. It was observed that the findings were frequently inconsistent, i.e. under the same conditions of EMF exposure some date indicated its negative effect on the reproduction process and some did not. No data confirming an acute effect of occupational exposure to EMF on the risk of spontaneous abortion, low birth weight, congenital malformations or other reproduction disorders were obtained, however, the negative effect of EMF cannot be explicitly excluded.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1996

[Biomarkers of neurotoxic effects induced by environmental chemicals].

Biological monitoring of neurotoxic effects induced by environmental chemicals covers a very broad spectrum of measurements beginning with molecular, subcellular and cellular changes through neurophysiological and neurobehavioral ones. For many years epidemiological studies had employed almost entirely neurophysiological and neurobehavioural ones. For many years epidemiological studies had employed almost entirely neurophysiological and neurobehavioural tests in the assessment of the magnitude and effects of exposure to neurotoxins. Only in the recent past, due to paramount advances in experimental biochemical toxicology, the application of biochemical tests-biomarkers of exposure, health effects and susceptibility-in neuroepidemiological studies became realistic. That was also associated with the detection of molecular targets for neurotoxins and the explanation of mechanisms of their effect. Exposure biomarkers define an absorbed dose and provide a quantitative measurement of adducts produced by neurotoxin (or its metabolite) or products of interaction with endogenic substances, for example, with DNA or enzymatic proteins. Biomarkers of health effects provide information on changes in the nervous system which occurred in its different sections: organic, tissular, cellular, subcellular and molecular, due to exposure to neurotoxic agents. Biomarkers of susceptibility inform that in a given person or population adverse health effects may be expected in the nervous system in the case of lower or higher exposure to a neurotoxic agent. They may prove useful in assessing the probability of progress in the disease of the nervous system due to exposure to environmental neurotoxins. They are measurable indicators of the nervous system biological factors which occur prior to exposure and are genetically determined or acquired. The latter may result from past diseases of the nervous system or earlier exposure to neurotoxic agents. The fact that the targeted cell-the nervous tissue-cannot be explored directly is one of the most important obstacles which still hinders the monitoring of neurotoxic effects by means of biochemical tests. On account of this limitation, in order to identify and characterise neurotoxic features, it is necessary to use those biochemical parameters which exist in easily accessible peripheral tissues, and which correspond with the parameters of the nervous tissue. It has thus far been found that biochemical markers present in the morphotic elements of peripheral blood (plates, leucocytes, erythrocytes) can be used as measurable, substitutive indicators of damages, dysfunctions and interactions in the nervous system caused by environmental neurotoxins.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1996

Female sickness absenteeism in Poland.

It is observed that the working activity period has recently been decreasing in Poland; this applies to both the male and female populations. Since women constitute 48% of all workers employed in the national economy, this tendency may pose an important problem for the community and public health. The main information source for the absenteeism analysis are medical certificates which in Poland obligatorily document every instance of a sick-leave from work, irrespective of the length of sickness. A 15% random sample of all sickness certificates constitutes a database for the monitoring system of sickness absence. The lost time rate is the main parameter analysed by the system. In 1994 the rate of female sickness absence in Poland amounted to 25.1 days per one employee. In Poland the main causes of female sickness absence are: respiratory diseases--18% of all sickness absence (in the 16-19 age group--49%), and disorders of female genital tract and complications of pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium (17% of all sickness absence and 48% in the 20-29 age group). The most important chronic diseases that substantially contribute to the level of sickness absence include: musculoskeletal diseases (15%), diseases of the circulatory system (15%) and the nervous system and sense organs (11%). Over the period of 1990-1994 the highest rate of the female sickness absence related to gynecological diseases and pregnancy complications (mean annual increase--22%), and the musculoskeletal diseases (mean annual increase--10%).

Absenteeism↗
PubMed1996

Neurological and neurophysiological examinations of workers occupationally exposed to organic solvent mixtures used in the paint and varnish production.

The aim of this work was to examine the nervous system of workers chronically exposed to mixtures of organic solvent at concentrations within or slightly exceeding the MAC values, used in the manufacture of paints and lacquers. The tests were performed on a group of 175 people, 107 men aged 22-59 (x = 41.25), and 68 women aged 20-55 (x = 38.62). The period of employment was x = 17.34 years and cumulative dose index 16.97 for males; for females, the corresponding values were x = 14.75 and x = 11.42, respectively. The control group included 175 people (107 men and 68 women) not exposed to chemicals matched according to sex, age, and work shift distribution. The neurological examinations included subjective and objective examinations of the nervous system, electroencephalographic (EEG) and visual evoked potential (VEP) evaluations. The assessment of organic solvent exposure was performed according to the method described in PN89/Z-04008/07, and the solvent mixtures were shown to contain xylenes, ethyltoluenes, trimethylbenzenes, propylbenzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, aliphatic hydrocarbons and the components of painter's naphtha. The most frequent complaints among the exposed males included headache, vertigo, concentration difficulties, sleep disorders, sleepiness during the day, increased emotional irritability, mood swings with a tendency to anxiety. The objective neurological examinations did not reveal organic lesions in the central or peripheral nervous systems. Generalised and paroxysmal changes were most common recordings in the abnormal EEG. VEP examinations revealed abnormalities, primarily in the latency of the response evoked. The results of this study suggest that exposures to concentrations within MAC values, or below 1.5 of the MAC values of organic solvents mixtures used in the manufacture of paints and lacquers produce subclinical health effect in the nervous system.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

[Genetic examinations in health care].

Genes are one of the most important indicators of disease incidence. Almost each diseases results from incorrect function of one or more genes. The disclosure of disease genetically conditioned depends, in many cases, on the effect of a broad spectrum of different environmental factors. Screening tests for carries of defective genes play a key role in the detection of risk for genetically conditioned diseases. Screening tests carried out for many years yielded a very diversified results. Some of them, for example, the screening test for the gene responsible for Tay-Sachs disease, produced good results, whereas results of other tests, like the test for the gene responsible for crescent anaemia, proved to be unsatisfactory. Among genetically conditioned diseases, neoplastic diseases are the subject of particular interest. It is already known that these diseases may be attributed to the accumulation of genetic errors in a normal cell, and that this phenomena applies to certain categories of genes. An analysis of genetic material of persons from the families with higher cancer incidence revealed the relationship between cancer and inheritance of some defective genes. Nevertheless, it should be stressed that the development of cancer is not definitely foregone even if genetic features of cancer disease are detected in a given person. The presence of such features only indicates an inborn or acquired defect (as a result of mutation) that predisposes him/her to illness. A great progress in molecular oncology made during the last years and the development of genetic maps relevant to neoplastic diseases should contribute to the detection of such genetic markers which could facilitate the identification of persons with a higher risk for neoplastic diseases and allow to take relevant preventive measures in due time.

Chromosome Mapping↗
PubMed1996

[Dynamics and spatial differentiation of premature mortality in the productive age group of the population--premise for in depth studies of causes and conditions of this phenomenon].

The increased mortality in Poland compared to that observed just after the war was mainly caused by the elevated frequency of premature deaths (under 65 years of age). The aim of the work was to assess: the premature mortality in the population of the productive age in Poland in comparison with other countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavian and Western European countries as well as with other developed countries in the world; the dynamics of premature mortality; the spatial differentiation of premature mortality in our country. Two age phases: I = 20 - 44 years, and II = 45 - 64 years were identified in premature mortality. A considerable increase in male premature mortality in phase II of the productive age which began in the second half of the sixties and had continued until 1991 doubled the mortality ratio in Poland when compared with the average ratio observed in all Scandinavian and Western European countries. The analysis of spatial differentiation of premature mortality indicates clearly the relationship between mortality and environmental conditions: the highest ratios are noted in highly urbanized and industrialized voivodships (provinces). It accounts for possible reasons of shortened by 7-8 years period of men's life in Poland as compared to Western countries or even by 10 year in comparison with Japan, for example. The situation among women is more favorable. These alarming data on premature mortality, especially among men in phase II of the productive age emphasize the urgent need for in-depth studies of causes, circumstances and factors contributing to deaths at the most active productive age.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Biomarkers used for the assessment of health hazards in populations living in the vicinity of communal and industrial waste dump sites.

The measure of individual hazard from exposure to environmental toxicants are the biomarkers which are indices of abnormalities within different biological systems that may be induced by hazardous agents of various chemical or biological nature. The biomarkers make it possible to "monitor" the processes within the organism from the moment of toxic agent penetration to the development of clinical symptoms. Biomarkers offer the possibility of early detection of phenomena which tend to be arranged in the sequence of pathogenic changes, usually not detectable by the conventional methods. Depending on the type of processes which accompany the effect of a specified harmful environmental agent on the human organism it may be determined with the aid of the biomarkers, which are then classified as exposure, health effect, and individual susceptibility. By integrating such concepts as exposure, health effect, and individual susceptibility, enhanced analysis of the problem of health risk in people exposed to environmental toxic agents has become possible.

Biomarkers↗
PubMed1995

Industrialization and environmental health in Poland.

There has been enormous pollution and biodegradation of environment in Poland as the consequence of industrialization developed regardless the principles of sustainable development. In the recent years, the decrease of total emission of air pollution caused by gases and dust, the decrease of emission of unprocessed sewage and industrial waste can be seen. These facts are the consequences of economic recession which have appeared in Poland along with economic transformation. However, there is still significant escalation of environmental pollution, in so-called areas of ecological hazards. There are heavily industrialized and urbanized areas covering about 10% of the total country area but inhabited by over 30% of the total country population. The significant environmental pollution goes together with deterioration of the country's health situation what can be seen in shortening the average lifetime expectancy, increased frequency of cardiovascular diseases and cancers and higher infants death rate in comparison to other European countries. Considering the complexity of the factors affecting the population's health status, the basis of the health and environmental policy conceived in order to stop and alter the unwanted health condition tendencies and the environmental quality have been shown here.

Environmental Health↗
PubMed1995

[Development of criteria and identification of areas most hazardous for the health of the population due to chemicals present in the environment. I. Proposed criteria for choosing health indicators].

Factors of communal and occupational environments, and particularly exposure to chemicals, belong to major causes of spatial differentiation of health situation. The authors propose criteria for choosing of negative health indicators in order to identify areas most hazardous to the population health because of the presence of chemicals in the environment. Following the diagnostic indices of the environment pollution and measures based on them two areas were identified: A--areas of the greatest ecological hazard and B--the most clean area as a reference point for area A. For the chosen group of health indicators whose levels can be determined in both areas A and B, relative risk was developed. In order to choose health indicators essential in view of the environmental hazard, alternative criteria were proposed: an arbitrrarycriterion, a criterion based on confidence interval for relative risk, and a criterion based on ch2 statistics and on confidence interval for relative risk. Finally chosen indicators and synthetic measures based on them will provide the ground for a comprehensive analysis of spatially differentiated health situation because of the environment pollution with particular reference to chemical factors.

Chi-Square Distribution↗
PubMed1995

[Development of criteria and identification of areas most hazardous for the health of the population due to chemicals present in the environment. II. Choice of health indicators and synthetic taxonomic measures].

The aim of the study was: 1. to choose health indicators related with hazards caused by chemicals in order to identify areas of the greatest health hazards, following the criteria proposed in Part I; 2. to apply different methods of variable aggregation, to evaluate their efficency and to choose a method most useful for identifying the areas most hazardous for health because of chemicals present in the environment. On the basis of the analysis performed, according to criteria proposed, and the analysis of the frequency of individual phenomena, the following health indicators were chosen to assess chemical hazards: incidence of low birth weight (under 2500), mortality of infants with low birth weight; male and female mortality from diseases of the circulatory system, and male mortality from lung and stomach neoplasm in the 30-59 age groups; mortality females above 60 years od age, and the rate of premature deaths in the 30-64 age group. For a comprehensive assessment of negative health effects three synthetic measures were applied: according to Hellwig, Strahl and Klima and Wydymus. Upon the analysis of rank concordance according to measures obtained and the sum of ranks of individual indicators based on correlation coefficient od Spearman's rank, the measure according to Strahl proved to be most accurate. This measure has been proposed for identifying areas most hazardous for the population health because of chemicals present in the environment.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Quality assurance of examinations performed by laboratories of the State Sanitary Inspection Service].

An accredited laboratory means that its competence in performing particular tests and examinations is officially recognised. Requirements concerning testing laboratories are specified in the European Standard EN 45001 and in the Guide ISO/ICE-25. When applying for an accreditation laboratories of the State Sanitary Inspectorate have to develop new or adjust existing systems of quality assurance in accordance with the aforesaid recommendations. The system of laboratory quality assurance should be described thoroughly in the quality manual and backed up by an appropriate documentation. An application for accreditation should be preceded by the following steps: setting up of a team of persons responsible for quality assurance policy, drawing up criteria for assessing testing methods and procedures, promoting principles of quality assurance and introducing necessary corrections, formulating an accreditation application form which should comprise: the range of expected accreditation, kind of investigations to be performed and methods to be applied. An application together with the quality manual should be submitted to the Central Bureau for Product Quality Assurance in Warsaw--the only office which grants accreditation in Poland.

Accreditation↗