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A Case of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in an Equipment Maintenance Worker Exposed to Lead
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In Ki Yoon, Hyoung Jun Lim, Young Su Ju, Se Jin An, Young Jun Kwon
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Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2012;24(2):195-205. Published online June 30, 2012
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2012.24.2.195
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 Abstract
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- OBJECTIVES
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease involving the upper and lower motor neuron of the brain and spinal cord, leading ultimately to death due to respiratory failure in most cases. The etiology of ALS is currently unknown, but several studies show that lead exposure might be one of the potential environmental causes of ALS. In this perspective, we introduce a case involving an ALS patient exposed to lead while maintaining mechanical equipment in a waste treatment plant.
METHODS
The patient was interviewed and his medical records were investigated to confirm the final diagnosis of ALS. The results of his health examination and working environment measurement were reviewed in order to evaluate the relation of his work with ALS. We also performed an analysis of lead concentration from samples taken from his workplace when we visited the plant to survey the work environment.
RESULTS
Based on the patient's clinical information, work environment, relatively high level of blood lead concentration, and several studies proposing the occupational relationship between lead and ALS, his ALS may possibly have been caused by lead exposure at his workplace.
CONCLUSIONS
Given the recent situation where the causal association between lead exposure and ALS is still unclear, this case report could be used as a basis to support the relevance of lead exposure with ALS, and to help improve the health and work environment of other workers who are likely to be exposed to lead.
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The Effect of Socio-Economic Factors on Occupational Injuries in Korea: A Time Series Analysis
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Ye Won Bang, Hyoung June Im, Young Jun Kwon, Seong Sik Cho, Tae Kyung Lee, In Ki Yoon, Young Su Ju
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Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011;23(4):397-406. Published online December 31, 2011
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2011.23.4.397
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Abstract
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- OBJECTIVES
We performed a time series analysis in order to identify the relationship between the occupational injury rate and socio-economic factors, and through this predict the occupational injury occurrence rate.
METHODS
We reviewed 168 sets of monthly data. For the statistical analysis, we used the economic index data provided by Statics Korea and the occupational injury index provided by the Workers' Compensation & Welfare Service gathered from 1994 to 2007. We performed a correlation analysis to find relationship between the occupation injury rate and economic factors. Using the correlation analysis result, we used time series analysis for the data in order to find out the association between occupational injuries and socio-economic indicators. We performed time series analysis to find out association occupation injury rate with socio-economic factors. In addition we ran a prediction occupational injury rate for 2008 and compared the result to the actual value.
RESULTS
The factors associated with occupational injuries were the daily worker index (b=0.394, p<0.0001), the mechanical index (b=-0.023, p=0.0043), the manufacturing operation index (b=0.152, p<0.0001), the workers compensation coverage expansion (b=1.189, p=0.015), the IMF index (b=-2.05, p<0.0001), and the after IMF index (b=-1.565, p=0.01). The daily worker index, manufacturing operation index, and workers compensation coverage expansion had an effect that increased the occupational injury rate. Conversely, the mechanical index and IMF variable tended to decrease the occupational injury rate.
CONCLUSIONS
This study suggests that the daily worker index, manufacturing operation index, workers compensation coverage expansion, and IMF variables are related factors in regards to occupational injury.
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Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by  - Business Cycle and Occupational Accidents in Korea
Dong Koo Kim, Sunyoung Park
Safety and Health at Work.2020; 11(3): 314. CrossRef - The Prediction of Industrial Accident Rate in Korea: A Time Series Analysis
Eunsuk Choi, Gyeong-Suk Jeon, Won Kee Lee, Young Sun Kim
Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing.2016; 25(1): 65. CrossRef
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