The module of Occupational Medicine (VI year of the Harvey course) is taught by Prof. Stefano M. Candura.
The field of study is divided into eight sections:
(1) General concepts. Presentation of the general aspects of Occupational and Environmental Medicine: definition and aims of the discipline; occupational risks and hazards; accident at work, occupational disease, work-related disease; occupational and environmental anamnesis; medical legal issues.
(2) Industrial hygiene. Explanation of the technical and medical aspects of prevention in the workplace: technical issues, environmental monitoring, sanitary surveillance, biological monitoring and biomarkers.
(3) Physical agents. Illustration of the physical hazards (and their effects on human health) that may be present in the work environment: microclimate and thermal factors; baropathies; noise; vibration; electricity; radiation (ionizing and non ionizing); Work-related Musculo-Skeletal Disorders (WMSDs).
(4) Occupational toxicology. Illustration of the chemicals (and their effects on human health) that may be present in the workplace (and in the general environment): toxic gases (focus on carbon monoxide, cyanides, and arsine); metals (focus on lead, mercury, chromium, and cadmium); solvents (general concepts; focus on n-hexane, benzene, and carbon disulfide); pesticides (general concepts; focus on organophosphates); dusts and fibres (pneumoconioses).
(5) Occupational allergology. Discussion of the occupational allergopathies: diagnostics (prick test, patch test, RAST, bronchoprovocation testing) and main diseases (dermopathies, rhinitis, bronchial asthma, extrinsic allergic alveolitis).
(6) Biological risk. Presentation of the biological hazards that may be present in the work environment: general concepts; blood-borne pathogens; air-borne pathogens; zoonoses.
(7) Occupational cancer. Main concepts on occupational and environmental carcinogenesis. Several examples are presented. Malignant Mesothelioma (MM) is discussed in detail.
(8) Work-related stress. Discussion of the occupational psychosocial risk factors, and their effects on workers’ health: general concepts; stress-related psychopathological disorders; burn-out; mobbing.
- Trainer/in: STEFANO CANDURA