Radiation Doses from Patients to Staff Members, Comforters and Caregivers and to the General Population

2012 ◽  
pp. 109-128
Author(s):  
Dejan Žontar
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Radiation Doses ◽  
Staff Members

scholarly journals Low Risk of COVID-19 Infection in an Ambulatory Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Center in Argentina

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
José Tawil ◽  
Josie Libertucci ◽  
Ana Adet Caldelari ◽  
Irene Banchero ◽  
Sandra Canseco ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Gastrointestinal Endoscopy ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Risk Of Infection ◽  
Healthcare Staff ◽  
Future Health ◽  
Endoscopic Procedures ◽  
Staff Members

Background and Objectives. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns have been raised regarding the risk of infection to both healthcare staff and patients during gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures. Given the importance of performing routine endoscopic procedures to an individual’s future health, we sought to estimate the risk of COVID-19 infection for healthcare staff and patients undergoing endoscopic studies at an ambulatory endoscopy center during the pandemic. Material and Methods. This is a prospective(and) analytical cohort study conducted in an ambulatory gastroenterology center located in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Patients undergoing different endoscopic procedures were evaluated for COVID-19 between April 14 and August 31, 2020. COVID-19 was also evaluated in all healthcare and associated staff during the same time period. The risk (cumulative incidence) of acquiring COVID-19 in all patients and staff was calculated. Results. Between April 14 and August 31, 2020, procedures were performed in 3,745 patients with a mean age of 51.12 years; 2,102 (56.18%) were male and 1,643 (43.82%) were female. Follow-up was completed in 3,492 patients, 18 of whom tested positive for COVID-19 standing for an incidence of 0.52% (95%CI 0.31 – 0.81%). Six (5.45%) out of 110 staff members were infected with COVID-19 (1 endoscopist, 4 endoscopy assistants and 1 administrative staff member). In this group, the incidence of positive tests for COVID-19 was 5.45% (95%CI: 2.03 – 11.50%). The increased rates of positive cases among our patients and healthcare professionals were respectively 7.9 and 23.6 times lower than in general population. Conclusion. During the study period, the proportion of COVID-19 infections in our ambulatory specialized in gastrointestinal endoscopy was low and much lower than that in the general population for both patients and healthcare professionals. Endoscopic procedures undertaken at this center were low risk, likely due to strict compliance with established pandemic protocols. Future studies should compare the risk of infection in the hospital setting.

scholarly journals Negative correlation between the number of sunspots and the occurrence of 7Be and 22Na in the surface air and their contribution to radiation doses

2019 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 290-295
Author(s):  
Drago Brodnik ◽  
Denis Glavič-Cindro ◽  
Matjaž Korun ◽  
Marijan Nečemer ◽  
Petra Maver-Modec ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Activity ◽  
General Population ◽  
Time Dependence ◽  
Negative Correlation ◽  
External Exposure ◽  
Radiation Doses ◽  
Cosmogenic Radionuclides ◽  
Activity Concentrations ◽  
Time Dependencies

AbstractThis article presents yearly mean concentrations of cosmogenic radionuclides 7Be and 22Na occurring in dry and wet depositions (fallout) and aerosols. Time dependencies negatively correlated with the yearly mean number of sunspots. Activity concentrations of 7Be and 22Na in aerosols in the surface air had a correlation of near-unity. 7Be in aerosols exhibited a smoother time dependence than 22Na, implying that the production of 22Na is more sensitive to the solar activity than the production of 7Be. The effect of the measured doses on the general population through internal and external exposure to radiation from cosmogenic radionuclides was small.

scholarly journals “We just needed to open the door”: a case study of the quest to end solitary confinement in North Dakota

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Cloud ◽  
Dallas Augustine ◽  
Cyrus Ahalt ◽  
Craig Haney ◽  
Lisa Peterson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
North Dakota ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Solitary Confinement ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Policies And Practices

Abstract Solitary confinement is a widespread practice in US correctional facilities. Long-standing concerns about the physical and mental health effects of solitary confinement have led to litigation, legislation, and community activism resulting in many prison systems introducing policies or implementing legal mandates to reduce or eliminate its use. Yet little is known about the nature and effectiveness of policies that states have adopted to reduce their use of solitary confinement and exactly how various reforms have actually impacted the lives of people living and working in the prisons where these reforms have taken place. Methods We conducted an embedded case study, analyzing changes in policies and procedures, administrative data, and focus groups and interviews with incarcerated persons and staff, to describe the circumstances that led to changes in solitary confinement policies and practices in the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (ND DOCR) and the perceived impact of these changes on incarcerated persons and prison staff. . Results North Dakota’s correctional officials and staff members attributed the impetus to change their solitary confinement policies to their participation in a program that directly exposed them to the Norwegian Correctional Service’s philosophy, policies, and practices in 2015. The ensuing policy changes made by North Dakota officials were swift and resulted in a 74.28% reduction in the use of solitary confinement between 2016 and 2020. Additionally, placements in any form of restrictive housing decreased markedly for incarcerated persons with serious mental illness. In the two prisons that had solitary confinement units, rule infractions involving violence decreased at one prison overall and it decreased within the units at both prisons that were previously used for solitary confinement. Although fights and assaults between incarcerated people increased in one of the prison’s general population units, during the initial months of reforms, these events continued to decline compared to years before reform. Moreover, incarcerated people and staff attributed the rise to a concomitant worsening of conditions in the general population due to overcrowding, idleness, and double bunking. Both incarcerated persons and staff members reported improvements in their health and well-being, enhanced interactions with one another, and less exposure to violence following the reforms. Conclusions Immersing correctional leaders in the Norwegian Correctional Service’ public health and human rights principles motivated and guided the ND DOCR to pursue policy changes to decrease the use of solitary confinement in their prisons. Ensuing reductions in solitary confinement were experienced as beneficial to the health and wellness of incarcerated persons and staff alike. This case-study describes these policy changes and the perspectives of staff and incarcerated persons about the reforms that were undertaken. Findings have implications for stakeholders seeking to reduce their use of solitary confinement and limit its harmful consequences and underscore the need for research to describe and assess the impact of solitary confinement reforms.

Very low seroprevalence of sars-cov-2 among health care personnel (HCP) in a French northern comprehensive cancer center at the end of first national containment.

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e13604-e13604
Author(s):  
Philippe Doutrelant ◽  
Nicolas Penel ◽  
Charlotte Renaudat ◽  
Cassandre Von Platen ◽  
Marie Paule Lebitasy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Tobacco Consumption ◽  
Comprehensive Cancer Center ◽  
Cancer Center ◽  
Administrative Staff ◽  
Serological Tests ◽  
General Direction ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
The Impact

e13604 Background: To limit SARS-Co-2 transmission in general population, French government had set up a first National containment from March 16, 2020 to June 2, 2020. Furthermore, General Direction of our hospital have implemented and organized physical distancing (telework, teleconsultation, virtual multi-disciplinary board), mask wearing, use of alcoholic ... to limit interpersonal contacts. To assess the impact of this policy, we have carried out a seroprevalence study and identified risk factors for SARS-Co-2 prevalence among HCP in May/June 2020. Methods: This is part of CORSER Study (“Etude séro-épidémiologique du virus SARS-CoV-2 en France d’une Cohorte CORSER-2d de personnels d’établissements de santé »), registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04325646). Two serological tests were applied in this cohort: S-Flow assay and Luciferase-linked immune-sorbent assay (LuLisa-N test). Results: Between 04 May to 26 June 2020, 392 Osar Lambret Cancer Center employees were included in the present study (about 40% of all staff). The most common jobs were: 92 nurses (23.4%), 80 radiology/radiotherapy manipulators (20.4%), 51 physicians (13.0%), 33 medical interns (8.4%) and 47 administrative staff members (11.9%). There were 98 men (25.0%) and 294 women (75.0%). The mean age was 38.7 (+/- 11.4). There were 7 seropositive cases; the seroprevalence was 1.8% (95%-CI: 0.7-3.6). Among the 7 positive cases, 5 were symptomatic (71.4%). In univariate analysis, factors associated with SARS-Co-2 seroprevalence: symptoms suggesting viral infection within 2 months (OR=5.33), dysgueusia (OR=37.00), anosmia (OR=66.29) and HCP exposed to COVID-19 patient outside work (OR=6.69). Gender, tobacco consumption, O blood group, HCP versus administrative staff, HCP working in different services, HCP providing care to suspected COVID-19 patients, HCP providing high-risk cares were not found to be associated with seropositivity. Of note, we have noticed that BMI≥ 24 kg/m² was associated with seroprevalence (OR=15.45), without biological rational. Conclusions: Our study suggests that strict implementation of protective measures was associated with low SARS-Cov-2 prevalence at the end of first National Containment, including among HCP treating COVID-19+ patients. HCPs seroprevalence seemed lower than seroprevalence of the general population at the same period (4-5%). Clinical trial information: NCT04325646.

scholarly journals A quantitative analysis of attitudes toward pornography use in secure hospitals: sexual, violent and non-offenders

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-123
Author(s):  
Emily Mellor ◽  
Simon Duff
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
General Population ◽  
Sexual Offenders ◽  
Sex Offender ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Pornography Use ◽  
The Individual

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the attitudes of staff members in secure hospitals and the general population towards pornography use and their decision-making regarding access to pornography. Design/methodology/approach A between participants design was used whereby 324 participants, including 162 staff members and 162 people of general population, answered an online questionnaire. Vignettes were presented of six hypothetical patients in a secure hospital, based on gender (male/female) and offence type (sexual/violent/non-offender). Participants were required to decide whether the individual depicted in the vignette should have access to pornography. Finally, participants were given a psychometric assessment of their own attitudes towards pornography. Findings Participants were less likely to decide that the sex offender should have access to pornography than the violent or non-offender, thus the offence type of the patient was a significant predictor. There was a significant relationship between attitudes to pornography and whether the individual in the vignette should be given access to pornography. There was no significant difference between attitudes towards pornography of the general public and staff members or for male and female participants. Gender of the patient described in the vignette was not a significant predictor. Practical implications The research highlights the importance of our own attitudes towards pornography, our possible beliefs about sexual offenders and the effects these may have on decision-making. Originality/value The research determines attitudes towards pornography and explores how attitudes influence decision-making.

scholarly journals Non-cancer disease prevalence and association with occupational radiation exposure among Korean radiation workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Soojin Park ◽  
Dal Nim Lee ◽  
Young Woo Jin ◽  
Eun Shil Cha ◽  
Won-Il Jang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Disease Prevalence ◽  
Thyroid Diseases ◽  
Baseline Survey ◽  
Response Analysis ◽  
Radiation Doses ◽  
Prevalence Odds Ratio ◽  
Cancer Disease ◽  
Radiation Workers ◽  
Cancer Diseases

AbstractRadiation-induced cancer risks have known stochastic effects; however, regarding non-cancer diseases, evidence of risk at low radiation doses remains unclear. We aimed to identify underlying characteristics concerning non-cancer disease prevalence and determine associations with radiation dose among Korean radiation workers. Using a nationwide baseline survey, 20,608 workers were enrolled. Data concerning participant demographics, occupational characteristics, lifestyle, and lifetime prevalence of non-cancer diseases were linked to a national dose registry. We compared non-cancer disease prevalences in the Korean general population with those in this cohort and undertook a dose–response analysis concerning the cumulative dose. Hyperlipidemia (10.6%), circulatory (9.6%), and respiratory (4.1%) system diseases, followed by thyroid diseases (3.5%), had the highest prevalences, with hyperlipidemia, thyroid diseases, and hepatitis prevalence being higher in the cohort than in the general population. Radiation doses were associated with elevated prevalences of most diseases; however, associations were attenuated and not significant after adjusting for confounders, except for musculoskeletal system diseases (prevalence odds ratio [POR]/10 mSv, 1.03; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–1.07) and cataracts (POR/10 mSv, 1.04; 95% CI 1.00–1.07). Further studies are warranted to investigate the causality of those non-cancer diseases involving more varied confounders such as physical and psychosocial stresses and ultraviolet light.

scholarly journals Occupational Radiation Exposure during Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography and Usefulness of Radiation Protective Curtains

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomoyuki Minami ◽  
Tamito Sasaki ◽  
Masahiro Serikawa ◽  
Michihiro Kamigaki ◽  
Masanobu Yukutake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Radiation Exposure ◽  
Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Radiation Doses ◽  
Endoscopic Retrograde ◽  
Occupational Radiation Exposure ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
The Mean ◽  
High Doses ◽  
Occupational Radiation

Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of radiation protective curtains in reducing the occupational radiation exposure of medical personnel.Methods. We studied medical staff members who had assisted in 80 consecutive therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures. Use of radiation protective curtains mounted to the X-ray tube was determined randomly for each procedure, and radiation doses were measured with electronic pocket dosimeters placed outside the protective apron.Results. When protective curtains were not used, the mean radiation doses to endoscopists, first assistants, second assistants, and nurses were 340.9, 27.5, 45.3, and 33.1 µSv, respectively; doses decreased to 42.6, 4.2, 13.1, and 10.6 µSv, respectively, when protective curtains were used (P<0.01). When the patient had to be restrained during ERCP (n=8), the radiation dose to second assistants without protective curtains increased by a factor of 9.95 (P<0.01) relative to cases in which restraint was not required.Conclusions. During ERCP, not only endoscopists, but also assistants and nurses were exposed to high doses of radiation. Radiation exposure to staff members during ERCP was reduced with the use of protective curtains.

scholarly journals Hospital-wide SARS-CoV-2 antibody screening of staff in a university psychiatric centre in Belgium

BJPsych Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kawtar El Abdellati ◽  
Violette Coppens ◽  
Jobbe Goossens ◽  
Heidi Theeten ◽  
Pierre Van Damme ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Population ◽  
Immunoglobulin G ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Antibody Screening ◽  
Limited Availability ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Psychiatric Facilities

In this first serosurvey among psychiatric healthcare providers, only 3.2% of a sample of 431 staff members of a Belgian University Psychiatric Centre, screened 3–17 June 2020, had SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin G antibodies, which is considerably lower compared with both the general population and other healthcare workers in Belgium. The low seroprevalence was unexpected, given the limited availability of personal protective equipment and the high amount of COVID-19 symptoms reported by staff members. Importantly, exposure at home predicted the presence of antibodies, but exposure at work did not. Measures to prevent transmission from staff to patients are warranted in psychiatric facilities.

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