Multiple high-risk HPV genotypes are grouped by type and are associated with viral load and risk factors.

Investigating whether high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) types tend to become grouped in a particular way and whether factors are associated with such grouping is important for measuring the real impact of vaccination. In total, 219 women proving positive for HPV as detected by real-time PCR were included in the study. Each sample was analysed for detecting and quantifying six viral types and the hydroxymethylbilane synthase gene. Multiple correspondence analysis led to determining grouping patterns for six HR-HPV types and simultaneous association with multiple variables and whether viral load was related to the coexistence of other viral types. Two grouping profiles were identified: the first included HPV-16 and HPV-45 and the second profile was represented by HPV-31, HPV-33 and HPV-58. Variables such as origin, contraceptive method, births and pregnancies, educational level, healthcare affiliation regime, atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance and viral load were associated with these grouping profiles. Different socio-demographic characteristics were found when coinfection occurred by phylogenetically related HPV types and when coinfection was due to non-related types. Biological characteristics, the number of viral copies, temporality regarding acquiring infection and competition between viral types could influence the configuration of grouping patterns. Characteristics related to women and HPV, influence such interactions between coexisting HPV types reflecting the importance of their evaluation.

Modelo de regresión de Cox de la pérdida auditiva en trabajadores expuestos a ruido y fluidos de mecanizado o humos metálicos / Cox regression model of hearing loss in workers exposed to noise and metalworking fluids or welding fumes

Fundamento. Los trabajos sobre pérdida auditiva laboralse han centrado clásicamente en el estudio del ruidocomo causa principal. En la rama del metal es muy comúnla presencia de contaminantes físicos y químicos.En este artículo se analizan ambos junto con ciertoshábitos personales, con la finalidad de ver su influenciaconjunta en la pérdida auditiva laboral.Material y métodos. Se analiza una muestra de 558 trabajadoresmediante regresión de Cox con una finalidadexplicativa. Se define el carácter de las relaciones causa-efecto existentes entre las variables consideradas,con respecto a tres situaciones: sano/alterado; recuperable/no recuperable; sin caídas en conversacionales/con caídas en conversacionales.Resultados. El análisis refleja que los fluidos de mecanizado,en presencia de ruido, retrasan la adquisición delos diversos grados de alteración auditiva; efecto contrarioal que producen los humos metálicos, que adelantanla adquisición de dichos estadios. El hábito defumar se reconoce como influyente en la adquisición deun trauma acústico inicial; la exposición a ruido extralaboralinfluye en la adquisición de un trauma acústicoavanzado; y por otro lado, los equipos de protecciónauditiva son protectores del ruido pero no de la ototoxicidadde los humos metálicos.Conclusión. Se pone de manifiesto el efecto antagónicode los fluidos de mecanizado y el sinérgico de los humosmetálicos frente al ruido, explicando la variacióntemporal en la evolución de la alteración auditiva, relacionadacon estas atmósferas; se comprueba la influenciadel tabaco y del ruido extralaboral, en la adquisicióndel trauma acústico(AU)

Background. Works on labour-related hearing losshave traditionally been centred on the study of noise asthe principal cause. The presence of physical and chemicalpollutants is very common in the metalworkingbranch. This article analyses both, together with certainpersonal habits, with the aim of determining theirjoint influence on labour-related hearing loss.Methods. A sample of 558 workers was analysed usingCox regression with an explicative aim. The characterof the cause-effect relations existing between the variablesconsidered is defined with respect to three situations:healthy/altered; recoverable/non-recoverable;with falls in conversational abilities/without falls inconversational abilities.Results. The analysis reflects the fact that metalworkingfluids, in the presence of noise, delay the acquisitionof different degrees of auditory alteration; an effectcontrary to that produced by welding fumes, whichaccelerate such states. The habit of smoking is recognisedas having an influence on the acquisition of aninitial acoustic trauma; exposure to noise outside theworkplace influences the acquisition of an advancedacoustic trauma; and, on the other hand, the auditoryprotective equipment provides protection against noisebut mot of the ototoxicity of welding fumes.Conclusion. The antagonistic effect of metalworkingfluids and the synergic effect of welding fumes in theface of noise are made evident in relation to these environments,explaining the temporal variation in the evolutionof auditory alteration; the influence of tobaccoand noise outside the workplace in the acquisition ofacoustic trauma are confirmed(AU)

[Work accidents. ACSOM a new orientation for automatic risk management]. / Accidente laboral. ACSOM una nueva orientación para gestión automática del riesgo.

BACKGROUND: To analyse workplace accidents, by considering the risks that provoke such accidents, bearing in mind that the final aim is to establish a classification of priority risks. This information will make it possible to undertake the opportune preventive actions against the most vulnerable risks. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A set of statistical-mathematical techniques, essentially based on statistical contrasts, was applied to work accidents taking place during a three year period in a Spanish Research and Development (R+D) organisation with 8,780 workers. The reference standard used for comparative analysis was the ensemble of accidents in Spain over an 11 year period. RESULTS: After application of the new methodology, the two risks requiring priority preventive actions are interaction with aggressive substances and accidents with moving machinery. If the two risks with the highest frequency had been considered alone, without taking into account the vulnerability of each, the priority risks would have been overexertion and falls at the same level. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis provides a list of the most vulnerable risks accidents on which action should be taken and thus achieve greater effectiveness in establishing which actions should be considered opportune.

Accidente laboral. ACSOM una nueva orientación para gestión automática del riesgo / Work accidents. ACSOM a new orientation for automatic risk management

Fundamento. Analizar la accidentalidad laboral en todotipo de empresas, a través de los riesgos que la provocan,teniendo en cuenta que el objetivo final es estableceruna clasificación de riesgos prioritarios. Estainformación permite abordar las acciones preventivasoportunas sobre los riesgos más vulnerables.Material y Métodos. Se aplica un conjunto de técnicasestadístico-matemáticas, basadas fundamentalmenteen contrastes estadísticos, a los accidentes laboralesacaecidos durante tres años, en un organismo de investigacióny desarrollo español (I+D) con 8.780 trabajadores.Se utiliza como patrón de referencia en esteestudio, para un análisis comparativo, el conjunto deaccidentes en España durante un periodo de 11 años.Resultados. Tras la aplicación de la nueva metodología,los dos primeros riesgos que requieren acciones preventivasprioritarias son interacción con substanciasagresivas y accidentes con maquinaria móvil. Si únicamentese hubieran considerado los dos riesgos confrecuencias más elevadas, sin tener en cuenta la vulnerabilidadde cada uno de ellos, los riesgos prioritarioshubieran sido sobreesfuerzos y caídas al mismo nivel.Conclusiones. El análisis proporciona una relación delos riesgos más vulnerables (puntos débiles), sobrelos cuales actuar y de esta forma ser más efectivos a lahora de reducir la accidentalidad(AU)

Background. To analyse workplace accidents, by consideringthe risks that provoke such accidents, bearingin mind that the final aim is to establish a classificationof priority risks. This information will make it possibleto undertake the opportune preventive actions againstthe most vulnerable risks.Material and Methods. A set of statistical-mathematicaltechniques, essentially based on statistical contrasts,was applied to work accidents taking place during athree year period in a Spanish Research and Development(R+D) organisation with 8,780 workers. The referencestandard used for comparative analysis was theensemble of accidents in Spain over an 11 year period.Results. After application of the new methodology, thetwo risks requiring priority preventive actions are interactionwith aggressive substances and accidents withmoving machinery. If the two risks with the highestfrequency had been considered alone, without takinginto account the vulnerability of each, the priority riskswould have been overexertion and falls at the same level.Conclusions. The analysis provides a list of the mostvulnerable risks accidents on which action should betaken and thus achieve greater effectiveness in establishingwhich actions should be considered opportune(AU)