C.I. MEDICINA DEL LAVORO ED IGIENE GENERALE ED APPLICATA

4 CFU - 2° Semester

Teaching Staff

VENERANDO RAPISARDA - Module Occupational Medicine - MED/44 - 2 CFU
ANTONIO MISTRETTA - Module Hygiene - MED/42 - 2 CFU

Learning Objectives

Occupational Medicine
The aim of the course is to provide information and knowledge about workplace-related pathologies (accidents and illnesses) as well as to become familiar with prevention principles, with particular reference to risk assessment and preventive measure adoption.

Students will have to learn methods and techniques to collect work history, identify environmental and occupational risks and possible relationships with genetic, demographic, socio-economic, psychological and cultural factors, related to health or illness statuses, as well as to look into the possible non-specific effects of occupational risk factors, especially for degenerative chronic diseases.

The main etiologically diagnostic aspects of occupational medicine will be dealt with, and so will the epidemiology of con-causally work-related diseases. Also, the most frequent professional diseases and work accidents will be classified. The main analysis method and work risk assessment instruments will be provided, that is limit exposure levels, environmental/biological monitoring and healthcare surveillance. Also, occupational risk in/formation, safety and health law guidelines in work places, primary and secondary prevention of occupational diseases, role and duties of the competent physician will be discussed.
Hygiene
The student must demonstrate knowledge of the methods of epidemiological investigation to investigate the cause-effect relationships and evaluate the efficacy of preventive and therapeutic interventions, as well as the effective methodologies for the prevention of pathologies pertinent to the course of studies.

Detailed Course Content

Occupational Medicine
History and evolution of Occupational Medicine: prevention service legislation and organization; work accidents and professional diseases insurance practices. Risk assessment procedure; exposure times and limit levels/values.

Primary and secondary prevention principles. Healthcare surveillance and duties of competent physician. Biological monitoring procedures. General and individual preventive practices and first aid action organization. Biological risk and vaccinations. Physical risks: noise, vibrations, ionizing-non-ionizing radiations, microclimate and compressed atmosphere. Ergonomy principles: postures and work. Workstation, shift and night work risks. Assessment of risks in manual loads handling and in repetitive movements of upper limbs with associated pathologies. Organizational wellness and its associated work stress. Health promotion in working places.

Main dust/fibre and professional allergene exposure–related pathologies; indoor and outdoor pollutants. Exposure risks to chemical, mutagen and carcenogenic agents.

Principles of Industrial Hygiene and hints of Statistics. Risks in the main working cycles. Guidelines on safety and health in working places.
Hygiene
Definition, basic concepts and tasks of hygiene. Epidemiology: definition, characteristics and purpose. Demographics elements. Sources and methods of data collection. Association measures. Indicators of the social and health conditions of the population. Prevalence and incidence. Relative Risk, Individual Attributable Risk and Population Risk. Epidemiological studies: Descriptive; analytical; Experimental. Epidemiology and prevention of infectious diseases: sources and reservoirs of infection; pathways of entry and elimination of pathogens; transmission methods; diffusive rhythms of infectious diseases (sporadic, endemic, epidemic and pandemic diseases). General prophylaxis: Direct prophylaxis (notification, epidemiological investigation, diagnostic assessment, isolation and default, health surveillance, sterilization, disinfection, disinfestation). Specific prophylaxis: Vaccinoprofilassi Immunoprofilassi. Chemoprophylaxis. Epidemiology and prevention of non-infectious diseases: Causes and risk factors. Genetic, environmental, behavioral risk factors. Prevention: in the living, working environment. Lifestyle modification: Health education. Secondary prevention: screening. Diseases of the cardiovascular system: epidemiology, risk factors, prevention. Malignant tumors: epidemiology, risk factors and prevention of the main tumors). Diabetes mellitus: general and classification. Risk factors. Prevention. Environmental factors and human health..

Textbook Information

Occupational Medicine
- David Koh, Ken Takahashi. Textbook of Occupational Medicine Practice. 3rd Edition ISBN: 978-981-4329-57-6
- Antonio Mutti, Massimo Corradi: "Lezioni di Medicina del Lavoro". Nuova Editrice Berti, 2014 (ISBN 978-88-7364-627-3)
- Per Alberto Bertazzi: "Medicina del lavoro". Raffaello Cortina Editore, 2013 (ISBN 978-88-6030-633-3)
- Enrico Pira, Canzio Romano, Paolo Carrer: "Manuale di medicina del lavoro". Minerva Medica, 2016 (9788877118431)
Hygiene
Igiene per le professioni sanitarie - Ricciardi W, Angelillo I.F et al, Editore Idelson Gnocchi, 2014

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