Learning objectives
he student must know how to interpret the biological monitoring data in the light of the knowledge of the metabolism and elimination kinetics of exogenous substances
Course unit content
The interdisciplinary course of occupational medicine aims to provide students with the basics of toxicokinetics and toxicodynamic environmental pollutants.
Full programme
1. Purposes and duties of Occupational Medicine, Toxicology and Industrial Hygiene (Prof. Antonio Mutti)
Background; Accidents and Occupational diseases; Overview of occupational epidemiology; Causality criteria in Occupational Medicine; Overview of Toxicology and Industrial Hygiene.
2. Working history: relationships between work and health (Prof. Massimo Corradi)
The etiological diagnosis in occupational medicine: iteration, importance, critical aspects; Classification of the most frequent diseases by chemical, physical, biological and organizational agents of the work; Information and education on occupational risks (motivating those who work to implement prudent behavior and implement preventive rules);
3. Analysis, risk assessment and management tools (Prof. Antonio Mutti):
Concepts and definitions of Danger, Risk, Exposure and Susceptibility; Environmental monitoring; Biological monitoring; Health surveillance; The guide values for interpreting environmental monitoring data: OEL, TLV, MAK
The guide values for interpreting biological monitoring: reference values, action levels, limit values that can be used at individual or group level;
4. The principles of environmental and occupational toxicology (Prof. Antonio Mutti)
Toxicokinetics: absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion;
Toxicodynamics: the main mechanisms of action;
The concepts of dose, effect and response, of dose-effect relationship and dose-response:
The interpretative models (deterministic, multi-factorial, multi-stage);
individual susceptibility and health surveillance.
5. The main physical risk factors (Prof. Enrico Bergamaschi)
Clinical pictures; instrumental assessments; diagnosis; prevention:
to. noise,
b. high and low temperatures,
c. vibrations.
6. Main chemical risk factors (Prof. Antonio Mutti)
Occupational, environmental and individual sources: main clinical pictures, biological monitoring, instrumental and laboratory tests, diagnosis, prevention and possible therapy for:
to. main toxic metal elements (cadmium, lead, mercury, chromium, manganese)
b. organic solvents: aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons; alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, d. carbon monoxide; carbon disulfide, aromatic amines.
7. Tumors of working origin (Prof. Antonio Mutti):
a) epidemiology, risk factors, relationship with exposure;
b) pathogenetic theories and role of occupational factors;
c) diagnosis and legal medical aspects for the main pathognomonic tumors.
8. Main respiratory diseases (M. Prof. Massimo Corradi):
Risk factors, main clinical pictures; instrumental assessments; laboratory tests; diagnosis; prevention and possible therapy:
a) acute and chronic diseases of the upper airways
b) pneumoconiosis,
c) bronchial asthma, extrinsic allergic alveolitis;
d) obstructive chronic broncho-pneumopathies;
9. Professional Nephropathy (Prof. Enrico Bergamaschi)
10. Indoor and outdoor pollution (Prof. Luisella Selis)
a) Office work
b) occupational risks in the use of equipment with VDT
c) Tobacco smoke
d) Risks for workers exposed to traffic pollution;
11. Work organization and workplace (Prof. Luisella Selis):
a) Stress;
b) Shift and night work;
c) Ergonomic factors (from posture and repeated movements, handling of loads).
d) Risks in driving cars and means of transport
12. Irritative and allergic working dermopathies (Prof. Massimo Corradi):
work, environmental and domestic risk factors; laboratory tests;
diagnosis, prevention and possible therapy.
13. Professional neuropathies (Prof. Antonio Mutti)
work, environmental and domestic risk factors; laboratory tests;
diagnosis, prevention and possible therapy.
Bibliography
A. Mutti e M. Corradi: Medicina del Lavoro. Nuova Berti editrice,
Teaching methods
Lectures and discussion of clinical cases
