| Document ID (ISN) | 101517 |
| CIS number |
03-676 |
| ISSN - Serial title |
1351-0711 - Occupational and Environmental Medicine |
| Year |
2003 |
| Convention or series no. |
|
| Author(s) |
Flodin U., Landtblom A.M., Axelson O. |
| Title |
Multiple sclerosis in nurse anaesthetists |
| Bibliographic information |
Jan. 2003, Vol.60, No.1, p.66-68. 17 ref. |
| Abstract |
Volatile anaesthetics are chemically related to organic solvents used in industry. Earlier studies have shown that exposure to industrial solvents may increase the incidence of multiple sclerosis (MS). This study was conducted for the purpose of establishing whether exposure to anaesthetics poses a similar risk. 90 nurses with MS were identified. They were given a questionnaire, which was filled in by 85 subjects; 13 of these were nurse anaesthetists. Incidence data for women in the region of Gothenburg in Sweden and in Denmark were used as references to estimate the risk by calculation of the standardized incidence ratio (SIR). Eleven of the 13 nurse anaesthetists were exposed to anaesthetic gases before onset of MS. Mean duration of exposure before diagnosis was 14.4 years. 10 cases were diagnosed in the study period 1980-99, resulting in significantly high SIRs of 2.9 and 2.8 with the Gothenburg and the Danish reference data, respectively. |
| Descriptors (primary) |
anaesthetics; multiple sclerosis; risk factors; operating theatres; nursing personnel; volatile substances |
| Descriptors (secondary) |
Sweden; Denmark; organic solvents; length of exposure; hazard evaluation; questionnaire survey; women; diagnosis |
| Document type |
D - Periodical articles |
| Country / State or Province | Sweden |
| Subject(s) |
Commerce, services, offices
|
| Broad subject area(s) |
Industries and occupations
Occupational medicine, epidemiology
|
| Browse category(ies) |
Diseases of the nervous system
Health care services
|
