Using a severity threshold to improve occupational injury surveillance: Assessment of a severe traumatic injury-based occupational health indicator across the International Classification of Diseases lexicon transition.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic injury is a leading cause of death and disability among US workers. Severe injuries are less subject to systematic ascertainment bias related to factors such as reporting barriers, inpatient admission criteria, and workers' compensation coverage. A state-based occupational health indicator (OHI #22) was initiated in 2012 to track work-related severe traumatic injury hospitalizations. After 2015, OHI #22 was reformulated to account for the transition from the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) to ICD-10-CM. This study describes rates and trends in OHI #22, alongside corresponding metrics for all work-related hospitalizations. METHODS: Seventeen states used hospital discharge data to calculate estimates for calendar years 2012-2019. State-panel fixed-effects regression was used to model linear trends in annual work-related hospitalization rates, OHI #22 rates, and the proportion of work-related hospitalizations resulting from severe injuries. Models included calendar year and pre- to post-ICD-10-CM transition. RESULTS: Work-related hospitalization rates showed a decreasing monotonic trend, with no significant change associated with the ICD-10-CM transition. In contrast, OHI #22 rates showed a monotonic increasing trend from 2012 to 2014, then a significant 50% drop, returning to a near-monotonic increasing trend from 2016 to 2019. On average, OHI #22 accounted for 12.9% of work-related hospitalizations before the ICD-10-CM transition, versus 9.1% post-transition. CONCLUSIONS: Although hospital discharge data suggest decreasing work-related hospitalizations over time, work-related severe traumatic injury hospitalizations are apparently increasing. OHI #22 contributes meaningfully to state occupational health surveillance efforts by reducing the impact of factors that differentially obscure minor injuries; however, OHI #22 trend estimates must account for the ICD-10-CM transition-associated structural break in 2015.

Health risk assessment related to dermal exposure of chlorpyrifos: a case study of rice growing farmers in Nakhon Nayok Province, Central Thailand.

To date, pesticides, especially organophosphate pesticide such as chlorpyrifos, have been frequently applied to paddy fields over time to maintain product quality, protect agricultural crops from various pests, and increase yield. This study evaluates dermal exposure to chlorpyrifos in rice farmers along with providing a health risk assessment. Thirty-five rice farmers participated and completed an in-person interview, and patch technique was used to evaluate dermal exposure to chlorpyrifos. The chlorpyrifos residue was extracted from the gauze patches and quantified by gas chromatography equipped with flame photometric detector (GC-FPD). The results showed that chlorpyrifos concentrations were greater in males (526.34 ± 478.84 mg/kg) than females (500.75 ± 595.15 mg/kg). Average daily dose sampled from seven points on male and female farmers were 31.72 × 10(-4), 193.32 × 10(-4), 5.38 × 10(-4), 190.48 × 10(-4), 170.47 × 10(-4), 465.91 × 10(-4), and 43.04 × 10(-4) mg/kg-day. The hazard quotient (HQ) at the mean and 95th percentile level was found to be greater than acceptable (HQ > 1). Rice-growing farmers in this area may be at risk for adverse health effects due to continuous dermal exposure to chlorpyrifos from their improper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

New Jersey migrant and seasonal farm workers: enumeration and access to healthcare study.

Despite the demanding physical labor Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFW) provide to meet consumer demands and keep the nation's agricultural industry gainful, MSFWs are the most economically disadvantaged population in the nation. MSFWs lack sufficient access to health care and suffer more illnesses than the general population. Besides the difficulties in providing adequate health care to this population, enumeration of MSFWs has been an even greater challenge due to their mobility and illegal status. Through the analysis of secondary data sources, this study looks to approximate the number of MSFWs in the state of New Jersey and to investigate MSFW access to health care. Farm workers are a vital part of not only New Jersey's agricultural economy but also the entire nation's economy. Understanding the health needs of this population, and knowing the number of individuals that comprise this population, would not only help eliminate many health problems but it also would better prepare health officials in meeting the needs of the MSFW population.

Vulnerability assessment of New Jersey's food supply to invasive species: the New Jersey IMPORT project.

The United States' environment and economy have been severely impacted by unintentionally introduced biological organisms for the last 100 years. Our ecosystems and biological reserves of conservation importance are regularly invaded by non-indigenous species. To help prevent future invaders from entering the ports, this project undertaken at the Port of Elizabeth proposed to: 1. Catalog the different vegetable and fruit crops entering this country; 2. Evaluate the potential risk to New Jersey crops that an introduced exotic pest might pose; and 3. Evaluate the potential that imported crops entering the U.S. have for harboring exotic pests. The New Jersey IMPORT report, or Invasive Management Promoting Open and Responsible Trade project, details a newly designed ecological risk assessment tool to evaluate entry potential of invasive pests at the Port of Elizabeth. Risk designations were assigned to shipments of four fruits; seven vegetables; and two field/forage crops based on: i) Country of origin; ii) Amounts of commodities imported; and iii) Endemic pests present in exporting countries. Between 5,000 and 180,000 tons of crops were imported into the Port of Elizabeth from October 2001 to 2003. Pest risk analyses were drafted for twenty-five intercepted insects taken from the Port Information Network. In addition, eighteen pest risk analyses were drafted for invasive fungi, bacteria, and viruses of global concern as alerted by ProMed Digest. It was concluded that three crops imported remain at high risk: apples, peppers, and tomatoes. Peaches, soybeans, lettuce, sweet corn, potatoes, squash, and eggplant imported were considered moderate risk. Blueberries, cranberries, and alfalfa were considered low risk.