Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Yong Hyu Choi

5 Articles

Prevalence of Occupational Asthma and Exposure Level of Pharmaceutical Dust of Workers in a Pharmaceutical Company: Sung Soo Oh, Yong Hyu Choi, Eun A Kim, Young Mok Lee, Jae Kil Jang, Jang Jin Yoo, Seung Hyun Park, Soo Young Jung, Tae Kyun Kim, Kyoo Sang Kim, Seong Kyu Kang; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2006;18(2):94-102. Published online June 30, 2006; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2006.18.2.94

OBJECTIVES
After the investigation of one worker with occupational asthma, we surveyed the prevalence of occupational asthma and the exposure level of pharmaceutical dust of 32 workers in a pharmaceutical company.
METHODS
Thirty-two of the 90 employees participated in the survey which consisted of questionnaire, blood sampling, spirometry and skin prick tests with 8 common allergens as well as 9 antibiotics and 2 enzymes. Various indices of the working environment were also measured. Subjects who had a symptom suggestive of work-related asthma or positive skin prick test were further investigated by PC20 methacholine. Nine subjects who had a PC20 result of 16 mg/ml or less (n=7) or had work-related symptoms and positive skin prick test (n=2) were referred to undergo a specific bronchial provocation test to pharmaceutical dust in an academic allergic disease center.
RESULTS
Eleven of 32 workers (34.4%) had a work-related symptom suggestive of occupational asthma. Ten (31.2%) showed positive skin prick test. 8 (25.0%) had a PC20 result of 16 mg/ml or less (indicative of significant bronchial hyperresponsiveness), and 5 (15.6%) had a positive result on the specific bronchial provocation test. Exposure levels of stuffing, input of raw materials and screening process were relatively high.
CONCLUSIONS
This survey showed that pharmaceutical workers have an increased risk of occupational asthma. Although pharmaceutical factories maintain a relatively good working environment, careful control of respiratory tract exposures, especially during stuffing, input of raw materials and screening process, is important to prevent occupational asthma. Pharmaceutical workers need to undergo regular skin prick and methacholine bronchial provocation tests, as well as asthmatic symptom survey, to ensure the early detection and prevention of occupational asthma.

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Occupational Diseases in Korea
Seong-Kyu Kang, Eun A Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S4. CrossRef

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Ambient Noise Levels in the Audiometric Test Rooms Used for Special Periodic Health Examination: Kyoo Sang Kim, Yong Hyu Choi, Yong Lim Won, Seong Kyu Kang; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2004;16(3):316-328. Published online September 30, 2004; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2004.16.3.316

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
The ambient noise levels in the test rooms affect the workers's hearing threshold. The present study was designed to assess the ambient noise levels in the test rooms to determine if valid hearing tests, both pure-tone air conduction and bone-conduction, could be performed in these environments.
METHODS
In the present study, third octave band ambient noise sound pressure levels were measured in 124 audiometric test rooms used for clinical audiometry, and the results were compared with the ANSI third octave band maximum permissible ambient noise levels (MPANLs) for each test condition and frequency range.
RESULTS
The ambient noise SPLs were highest in the lower frequencies, and this decreased as the frequency increased. For the "ears covered"condition, about 24.2% of the rooms were in compliance (pass) with the MPANLs for the 125-8000 Hz, 35.5% were in compliance for the 250-8000 Hz range and 55.6% were in compliance for the 500-8000 Hz range. For the "ears not covered"condition, only about 8.1% of the rooms passed for the 125-8000 Hz, 13.7% of the rooms passed for the 250-8000 Hz range and 34.7% of the rooms passed for the 500-8000 Hz range. All 124 rooms met the OSHA MPANLs.
CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study strongly indicate that clinical audiometry is being conducted in test rooms having unacceptable or excessive ambient noise levels.

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Ambient Noise in Candidate Rooms for User-Operated Audiometry
Christos Sidiras, Jacob Nielsen, Chris Bang Sørensen, Jesper Hvass Schmidt, René Gyldenlund Pedersen, Ellen Raben Pedersen
Healthcare.2023; 11(6): 889. CrossRef
Achievements, Problems, and Future Direction of the Quality Control Program for Special Periodic Health Examination Agencies in Republic of Korea
Yong Lim Won, Kyung Sun Ko, Jae Oh Park, Yoon jung Choi, Hyeji Lee, Jung-min Sung, Mi-young Lee
Safety and Health at Work.2019; 10(1): 125. CrossRef

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Analysis of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disease by Approved Korea Labor Welfare Corporation in 1999: Yeon Soon Ahn, Yong Hyu Choi, Seong Kyu Kang, Ho Keun Chung; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2002;14(2):154-168. Published online June 30, 2002; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.2002.14.2.154

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of workrelated musculoskeletal diseases, as listed by the Korea Labor Welfare Corporation (KLWC).
METHODS
Using the database of the KLWC, we collected information from 410 approved occupational musculoskeletal disease cases, which occurred between 1 January and 31 December 1999 and were approved by 30 June in 2000. We investigated the characteristics of the disease using a mail survey and telephone interviews. The characteristics we investigated included : sex, age, disease-related working duration, process of disease occurrence, type of enterprises, etc.
RESULTS
Men accounted for 75.6 % (310 workers) of the approved cases. The most common age group was 30-39 years (n=143, 34.9 %). The mean disease-related working duration was 5.7 years, and the most commonly had a work-duration of 1-5 years (n=108, 36.0 %). The major industrial types of enterprise were manufacturing (235 workers, 57.3 %), transportation (46 workers, 11.2 %), and construction (25 workers, 6.1 %). Within the manufacturing industry, the most common was motor vehicles and trailers manufacturing. Within the group, the most common jobs were plant or machine operators and assemblers (129 workers, 36.5 %), elementary occupations (90 workers, 25.5 %), and craft and related trades workers (63 workers, 17.8 %). The majority of the diseases involved lumbar problems (232 cases, 54.7 %), neck and upper extremity diseases (183 cases, 43.2 %) and lower extremity diseases (9 cases, 2.1 %). In the cases of lumbar disease, the mean age and working duration was 36.5 years and 4.7 years, respectively. Fifty-four cases of lumbar diseases were due to repetitive work and 89 due to non-repetitive work. Bad posture at work was the most common cause for those doing repetitive work(23 cases), and lifting the most common cause of problems in the non-repetitive work cases (27).
CONCLUSIONS
We were able to elucidate the characteristics of workers with approved occupational musculoskeletal disease through this study. Many approved cases occurred in women, and workers performing repetitive work, of these herniated nucleus pulposus occurred in many workers performing simple repetitive works without serious external forces. This suggests that a prevention policy for occupational musculoskeletal disease must be established, to focusing on the above-mentioned high-risk groups.

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Effects of Physical Burden and Musculoskeletal Symptoms on Job Stress in Hospital Workers
Dong-Hyun Kim, Yoo-Mi Chae, Hee-Kwang Kim
Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society.2014; 15(11): 6782. CrossRef
Characteristics and Influencing Factors on Recuperators with Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders
Kyoo-Sang Kim, Hee-Gyeong Jeon, Day-Sung Kim
Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea.2012; 31(5): 671. CrossRef

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An Evaluation for the Occupational Distribution of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Diagnosed at a University Hospital: Yong Hyu Choi, Seong Kyu Kang, Chang Ho Chae, Jong Han Leem, Chung Yill Park; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1999;11(3):313-322. Published online September 30, 1999; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1999.11.3.313

Abstract PDF

OBJECTIVES
The study was carried out to evaluate the work-relatedness and the occupational distribution in 147 carpal tunnel syndrome(CTS) cases diagnosed at a university hospital from May 1996 to May 1998.
METHODS
We obtained the information on disease appearance, occupational history including job content and other life style by medical records and telephone interviews.
RESULTS
Of the 147 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, 51 patients(34.7 %) were shown to be work-related. Work-related CTS were most frequent in elementary workers (21 case, 41.2%). The other eases were 15(29.4%) workers in service and shop and market sales, 9(17.6%) workers in craft and related traders, 4(7.8%) workers in skilled agriculture and fishery. Only two workers had claimed to the Industrial Accident Compensation Insurance, but no one has been admitted as an occupational CTS yet.
CONCLUSIONS
It is suggested that arrangements of surveillance system for adequate control of occupational CTD is neccessity.

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Distribution of age, gender, and occupation among individuals with carpal tunnel syndrome based on the National Health Insurance data and National Employment Insurance data
Il-Ho Lee, Young-Ki Kim, Dong-Mug Kang, Se-Yeong Kim, In-Ah Kim, Eun-Mi Kim
Annals of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.2019;[Epub] CrossRef
Significance and prospect of workers health center
Jong-Seo Kim, Dae-Seong Kim, Hee-Jung Gil, Young-Sik Park, Hyeon-Hwa Sin, Jong-Tae Park
Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2014; 57(2): 159. CrossRef
I never expected to be a disabled person in another country: the stories of migrant workers with acquired disabilities in Korea
Kyung Mee Kim
Disability & Society.2011; 26(5): 553. CrossRef
Occupational Diseases in Korea
Seong-Kyu Kang, Eun A Kim
Journal of Korean Medical Science.2010; 25(Suppl): S4. CrossRef

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Aplastic Anemia in a Petrochemical Plant Worker: Young Mann Baak, Yong Hyu Choi, Seong Kyu Kang, Ji Hong Kim, Kyoung Ah Kim, Young Lim, Joung Wook Lee; Korean Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1999;11(2):287-292. Published online June 30, 1999; DOI: https://doi.org/10.35371/kjoem.1999.11.2.287

Abstract PDF: Aplastic anemia is characterized by pancytopenia with hypocellular bone marrow. Fifty percent of the cases are idiopathic and the rest are caused by various agents including drugs, chemicals, radiation and viruses. It is difficult to link specific etiologic agents, especially chemicals to the development of aplastic anemia because multiple or unknown exposures may be involved in. Benzene, a common industrial chemical and a component of gasoline, may lead progressively to pancytopenia, aplastic anemia and leukemia when exposed. A petrochemical worker with aplastic anemia was referred to our hospital to evaluate a relationship between the job history and the disease. He worked in the petrochemical plant for .21 years and was exposed to low-level benzene. There was not any other etiologic agent except benzene and this is the case report of aplastic anemia which possibly due to benzene exposure.

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