Occupational Health News and Research

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Communities near warehouses face higher health risks

A first-of-a-kind study now shows that people living in communities located next to these large warehouses are exposed to 20% more of a traffic-related air pollutant that can lead to asthma and other life-threatening health conditions.

25 Jul 2024

Faulty arsenic water treatment systems pose new health risks, Rutgers researchers warn

Systems designed to treat arsenic in private well water may be malfunctioning and endangering the health of people who count on them to keep their water safe, according to Rutgers researchers.

11 Jul 2024

Pandemic stress leads to surge in ADHD diagnoses and medication use in Finland

Study reveals a significant rise in ADHD diagnoses and medication use in Finland during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the pandemic's impact on mental health recognition, especially among young women and older adults.

3 Jul 2024

Reducing inappropriate C. difficile testing with a diagnostic stewardship approach

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) describes the outcome of a new approach to testing for Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) guided by the principles of diagnostic stewardship.

27 Jun 2024

Apple Hearing Study sheds light on tinnitus demographics and health impacts

About 78% of participants in the Apple Hearing Study, conducted by the University of Michigan, have experienced tinnitus—the perception of sound that others do not hear.

28 May 2024

Rutgers researchers expose war's toll on Ukraine's hospitals

Rutgers researchers, aided by international collaborators, have tracked the devastation war has made on Ukraine's hospital system.

17 May 2024

UW study reveals health risks of military aircraft noise on Whidbey Island residents

Bob Wilbur thought he'd found a retirement home that would be a place of peace. Nestled against Admiralty Bay on the western edge of Whidbey Island, the three-story house is surrounded by trees and shoreline. It offers the kind of quiet that only an island can provide. Except when the Growlers fly.

10 May 2024

WHO overturns dogma on airborne disease spread. The CDC might not act on it.

The World Health Organization has issued a report that transforms how the world understands respiratory infections like covid-19, influenza, and measles.

1 May 2024

Updated vaccine provides strong immune response against previous and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants

New research using live SARS-CoV-2 virus reveals an updated vaccine provides a strong immune response against previous strains and emerging variants.

29 Apr 2024

Hospital sinks fuel antibiotic-resistant bacteria spread

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control reports the infection prevention steps taken to control a months-long multispecies outbreak of carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales that occurred in a pediatric ward at the Toho University Omori Medical Center in Tokyo in 2017.

12 Apr 2024

Simple pre-surgical protocol can help prevent dangerous post-surgical infections

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) demonstrates the use of a simple pre-surgical infection prevention protocol to prevent dangerous post-surgical infections.

28 Mar 2024

VTT's breakthrough: AI tool detects workplace stress levels

VTT, one of Europe's leading research institutions, has developed an AI-based tool that can recognize when knowledge workers are under stress.

26 Mar 2024

Health workers fear it’s profits before protection as CDC revisits airborne transmission

Four years after hospitals in New York City overflowed with covid-19 patients, emergency physician Sonya Stokes remains shaken by how unprepared and misguided the American health system was.

19 Mar 2024

AI technologies can accurately identify cases of healthcare-associated infections

A new proof-of-concept study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) reports that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can accurately identify cases of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) even in complex clinical scenarios.

14 Mar 2024

U.S. laws and regulations inadequately protected frontline workers during the pandemic

An analysis published today in the The BMJ examines the risks faced by frontline workers in the United States during the pandemic and suggests reforms that could protect population health and save lives.

30 Jan 2024

Exposure to flame-retardant chemicals may affect pregnancy outcomes

Pregnant women exposed to specific classes of flame-retardant chemicals may face an increased risk of preterm birth, especially for baby girls, or higher birth weights, according to a Rutgers Health researcher.

27 Jan 2024

Pregnant women exposed to common flame retardants may face preterm birth risk

In the largest study of its kind, researchers at UC Davis Health found that exposure to organophosphate ester flame retardants during pregnancy was associated with preterm birth, especially among females.

24 Jan 2024

New screening tool helps doctors spot precarious employment

Precarious employment, defined by temporary contracts, unstable employment, or job insecurity, is increasingly common and is associated with inconsistent access to health insurance, lower incomes, and greater exposure to physical hazards and psychological stress.

22 Jan 2024

Daily active commuting associated with lower levels of inflammation

A new study, conducted by the University of Eastern Finland, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, shows that engaging in active commuting for a minimum of 45 minutes a day was associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a key marker of inflammation.

16 Jan 2024

Hospital surfaces harbor pathogens despite cleaning, study finds

A new study published today in the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) reports microbial contamination -; including pathogenic and potentially pathogenic bacteria -; on high-touch hospital surfaces despite compliance with recommended disinfection protocols.

11 Jan 2024