Occupational Health News and Research

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SXC Health third quarter revenue increases 28% to $106.4 million

SXC Health Solutions Corp. announces its financial results for the three-month and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2010. Financial references are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.

4 Nov 2010

Frequent long-term use of cell phones may increase cancer risk

Public health concerns have been raised today about the safety of being exposed to radiofrequency (RF) radiation emitted from cell phones. A report released by the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (OAHPP) in September 2010 was one of the studies cited as providing evidence that frequent long-term use of cell phones may be associated with an increased risk of cancer.

4 Nov 2010

Working at night and in rotating shifts increase risk of work injury

Canadians who work night and rotating shifts are almost twice as likely to be injured on the job than those working regular day shifts, according to a study by researchers at the University of British Columbia.

3 Nov 2010

MRI awarded $31M NIH contract to provide chemistry support for National Toxicology Program

Midwest Research Institute (MRI), one of the nation's leading independent research organizations, with more than 65-years of experience in scientific research, has been awarded a $31 million contract from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Under the 5-year contract, MRI scientists will provide chemical procurement, handling, and analytical chemistry services requested by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) for toxicology studies in progress throughout the U.S.

28 Oct 2010

High urine BPA levels associated with decreased sperm quality

Increasing urine BPA (Bisphenol-A) level was significantly associated with decreased sperm concentration, decreased total sperm count, decreased sperm vitality and decreased sperm motility, according to a Kaiser Permanente study appearing in the journal of Fertility and Sterility.

28 Oct 2010

Sleep disturbances increase risk of work disability

Sleep disturbances increase the risk of work disability and may slow the return to work process. This is especially true in cases where work disability is due to mental disorders or musculoskeletal diseases. These results come from a recent study conducted by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in collaboration with the universities of Turku and London.

25 Oct 2010

Cancer cluster among Sydney Harbour Bridge workers triggers investigation

There are reports of a cancer cluster among Sydney Harbour Bridge workers with at least eight known cases that unions believe are linked to the use of lead paint. The Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) will investigate the matter. Of the eight workers five have already died and all of them had been involved in painting and maintaining the bridge for more than 10 years, the Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) said. This included scraping off lead paint, initially with little protective equipment.

14 Oct 2010

MEDTOX Scientific third quarter total revenues increase 15.9% to $25.8 million

MEDTOX Scientific, Inc. today announced results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2010. MEDTOX achieved record revenues and gross profit in the quarter.

13 Oct 2010

HHS awards $5 million grant to support teen pregnancy prevention programs

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS), in partnership with three community-based organizations, has been awarded a five-year, $5 million grant from the Department of Heath and Human Service's (HHS) Office of Adolescent Health. This grant is part of a $155 million commitment by HHS to support the replication of teen pregnancy prevention programs that have been shown to be effective through rigorous research as well as the testing of new, innovative approaches to combating teen pregnancy.

12 Oct 2010

Data shows Take Care Clinics’ quality of care exceeds national benchmarks

Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens and the nation's largest and most comprehensive manager of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers, today announced that an analysis of de-identified data collected through the company's electronic medical record (EMR) system by the Jefferson School of Population Health showed that the quality of care delivered in Take Care Clinics for treatment of pharyngitis (inflammation of the throat) and upper respiratory infections (URI) meets or exceeds the quality of the care delivered in other settings.

5 Oct 2010

OHSU CROET issues public alert on Brazilian Blowout hair straightening product

Oregon Health & Science University's Center for Research on Occupational and Environmental Toxicology (CROET) is responding to concerns raised by Portland-area hair salons about a product used for hair straightening. CROET has issued two public alerts describing its findings on the possible negative health impacts of this product.

4 Oct 2010

Legal storm brews in area of mental health protection at work

Financial rewards for damages caused by mental injury at work have increased over the past five years by as much as 700%, according to a report released today by the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC). The report warns that a perfect legal storm is brewing in the area of mental health protection at work, and points to emerging responsibilities for employers to provide a psychologically safe workplace. This is timely, since October is Canada's Healthy Workplace Month and next week is Mental Illness Awareness Week.

30 Sep 2010

Scientists identify genetic contribution to sense of smell

Scientists at the Monell Center have used a well-known example of individual differences to identify a genetic contribution to the sense of smell. Most people detect a distinct sulfurous odor in their urine shortly after eating asparagus. However, there are some who seemingly do not notice the unpleasant odor.

29 Sep 2010

European Society of Cardiology to support EuroPRevent Meeting

Workplace wellness programmes play a vital role in preventing cardiovascular disease and stroke. This year's World Heart Day theme is to encourage employers and employees to take simple steps to improve heart-health in the workplace. The European Society of Cardiology is keen to support this theme, which coincides with the upcoming launch of two major initiatives at the next EuroPRevent Meeting in April 2011 in Geneva.

27 Sep 2010

People with Parkinson's disease have high levels of beta-HCH pesticide

People with Parkinson's disease have significantly higher blood levels of a particular pesticide than healthy people or those with Alzheimer's disease, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

27 Sep 2010

TeleHealth Services announces new partnership with TRHMC to improve patient experience

TeleHealth Services, the nation's leading provider of healthcare grade televisions and interactive patient education solutions, today announced a new partnership with The Reading Hospital and Medical Center. The 671-bed hospital chose TeleHealth Services as their interactive patient education and entertainment partner as an extension of the hospital's Surgical Care Improvement Project.

14 Sep 2010

Current economic crisis threatens to affect cancer incidence: Report

Although overall mortality from cancer is decreasing in the European Union, its incidence increased by almost 20%, from 2.1 million new cases in 2002 to 2.5 million in 2008, says a special issue of the European Journal of Cancer on cancer prevention, published today.

13 Sep 2010

Occupational exposure to substances is a major risk factor for neurodermatitis

A child who can't stop scratching himself may well be suffering from atopic dermatitis, also known as neurodermatitis. Extreme irritability of the skin with a concomitant urge to scratch is typical of the disorder. The condition often appears during the first year of life and is on the increase in industrialized countries.

8 Sep 2010

Prenatal pesticide exposure increases susceptibility to ADHD in children

Exposure to organophosphate (OP) pesticides before birth can increase susceptibility to attention disorders such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP). The new study is part of a growing body of research indicating that exposure to OP pesticides can adversely affect brain development.

19 Aug 2010

Nightingale to provide AIM Health Group with enterprise EMR and practice management solution

Nightingale Informatix Corporation, an application service provider of electronic medical record (EMR) software and related services today announces that it has signed a five-year agreement with the AIM Health Group to provide AIM's family practice, walk-in and pain management clinics with Nightingale On Demand, the Company's enterprise EMR and practice management solution.

12 Aug 2010