The availability and usage frequency of real time ultrasound by physiotherapists in South Australia: an observational study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Real time ultrasound (RTUS) is an emerging imaging modality in physiotherapy. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it is being used as an assessment and biofeedback tool for various deep core stabilizing muscles. However, how and why physiotherapists use RTUS in the clinical setting has not yet been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to establish the availability and usage frequency of RTUS by physiotherapists in South Australia. In addition, the study aimed to describe how physiotherapists were using RTUS and how they were educated in its use. METHOD: A questionnaire was developed and mailed to all physiotherapists registered with the Physiotherapy Board of South Australia (n = 1328) between February and March 2007. RESULTS: A response rate of 50% was achieved with 664 completed usable questionnaires returned. At the current time, only a small proportion of respondents used RTUS (11.6%), while slightly more had access to a machine (19.4%). RTUS was used most commonly for assessment (88.3%) and biofeedback (87.0%) of the abdominal (94.7%), pelvic floor (72.7%) and multifidus (54.5%) muscles. Of all respondents, 26.7% had trained in its use with most completing two hours or less of training. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first published study to describe how and why physiotherapists are using RTUS in clinical practice. RTUS appears to be a relatively uncommon modality potentially limited by insufficient access to equipment and educational opportunities. The findings highlight a greater need for education and training in the use of RTUS for physiotherapy practice.

Blood lead levels in urban children of Katowice Voivodship, Poland: results of the population-based biomonitoring and surveillance program.

The paper presents the results of the large-scale blood lead levels survey in pre-school urban children living in industrial area of Poland (Katowice Voivodship, Upper Silesian Industrial Zone-USIZ). The program, established in 1993, involves education, screening and medical care of case-children, as its major elements. Until December 1995 six thousand nine hundred sixty nine children aged 2-6 years have been examined in three towns (Chorzów, Kalowice, Sosnowiec). Geometric mean value of blood lead level (PbB) was slightly but not statistically significantly larger in boys (6.68 +/- 1.51 micrograms/dl) than in girls (6.58 +/- 1.54 micrograms/dl). In a multiple regression analysis the following variables explained variation in PbB: town (p = 0.0001), age (p = 0.005), floor on which apartment was located (p = 0.0001), number of siblings (p = 0.0001), apartment quality (p = 0.0001), carpet in a child's room (p = 0.0001), consumption of locally grown vegetables (p = 0.007), frequent trips outside the region (p = 0.0001). The results were verified with PbB as dichotomous variable. The occurrence of PbB above 10 micrograms/dl (frequency, 14.2%-17.2%) was associated with floor on which apartment was located, number of siblings, apartment's quality, the presence of carpet in child's room and frequent trips outside the region. The occurrence of PbB above 15 micrograms/dl (frequency: 2.5%-4.2% of children) was associated with the same variables and additionally, with the place of residence and intensity of vehicle traffic. The findings yield reliable population-based estimates of the risk of over-exposure of "non-hot-spot" urban children to environmental lead and highlight the important role of factors that could be classified as environmental and socio-economical determinants of blood lead level. Among environmental factors deposits of lead are still a problem in a densely populated industrial center of USIZ and the use of leaded gasoline adds to the magnitude of exposure.

[Evaluation of exposure to metallic mercury following the measurement of mercury vapor concentration in air of the working zone where acetic aldehyde and chlorine are produced]. / Ocena narazenia na rtec metaliczna na podstawie pomiarów stezen par rteci w powietrzu na stanowiskach pracy przy produkcji aldehydu octowego i chloru.

The analysis of mercury vapour concentrations in the working zone indicated considerable variations in full shift measurements--from 1/10 MAC to over 3 MAC at the acetic aldehyde production and 40 MAC at the chlorine electrolysis. Individual dosimeters were used in the sample collection and an absorptive ASA atomic spectometry with cool vapour attachment was applied for qualitative determination. The results obtained correspond, to greater extent, with observed high level of mercury excreted with urine than with data of stationary measurements taken in the period of even higher production.

[Evaluation of occupational exposure to carcinogenic metals in non-ferrous metallurgy in the upper Silesia region]. / Ocena narazenia zawodowego na metale rakotwórcze w hutnictwie metali niezelaznych na terenie Górnego Slaska.

The authors present the results of a study of occupational exposure to carcinogenic metals: arsenic, nickel and chromium in four nonferrous plants. Air samples were collected from workplaces of a high potential exposure and measured by GFAAS (graphite flameless atomic absorption spectrometry). On the basis of the results obtained, potential health effects of exposure were assessed by comparing concentrations of arsenic, nickel and chromium with hygienic standard values and assessing cancer risk. It was found that concentrations of arsenic, nickel and chromium, expressed by geometric means, were lower at workplaces than hygienic standard values. A relative cancer risk induced by the occupational exposure to nickel and chromium was comparable with a relative cancer risk of environmental exposure of the population living in the Katowice region while in the case of arsenic, cancer risk was almost 50 times higher.

[Dust particles and metals in outdoor and indoor air of Upper Silesia]. / Czastki pylu i metale w powietrzu zewnetrznym i w pomieszczeniach na Górnym Slasku.

This work contains the results of the aerosol mass size distribution and preliminary studies on concentrations and size distribution of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe and Cd) in indoor and outdoor environment in Upper Silesia (the highly industrialized region in the southern part of Poland). In studies, the measurements of aerosol concentration, mass size distribution, and evaluation of heavy metals concentration were made from December 1992 to April 1994 in some apartments in five towns in Upper Silesia and in one village in the Beskidy Mountains in both indoor and outdoor environments. The particles were fractionated in Andersen cascade impactor. The sampling time was 6-7 days and 4-5 days for indoor and outdoor respectively. Aerosol particulates were collected on A-type glass fiber collection substrate used later for determination of heavy concentrations by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS 3, Carl Zeiss Jena). The dust was mineralized by the means of the mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acids. The results of mass size distribution as well as the measurements of TSP for indoor and outdoor aerosol show that the main source of particulate matter indoors, in this region, are heavy polluted outdoor air and cigarette smoking. It can be said that, except homes in Knurów and Sosnowiec with hard smokers, the indoor levels of particulate pollution were significant lower than the outdoors levels. Whenever in the indoor environment appear additional source of particulate emission situation can changed. When we compare mass size distribution for outdoor aerosol and indoor aerosol contaminated by tobacco smoke, we can observed considerable increase of indoor aerosol level in the 0.33-0.54 microns size range. Besides, indoor aerosol status may be changed by coal stove emission (displacement of maximum peak to direction of coarse particles). The observed differences in concentration of particulate matter may also indicate the important differences in chemical and physical nature of particles caused by the air filtration and absorption during migration of ambient air into the indoor environment. On the base of comparison of the heavy metals concentrations of fine and coarse fraction and their indoor/outdoor ratio in five selected towns in Upper Silesia it can be said that the level of heavy metals in indoor aerosol is lower than in outdoor (except Pb and Cd) what suggest that migration of ambient air into the homes is a major process which give indoor air contamination of heavy metals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)