AB025. Diseases with temporary disability of the respiratory system at persons working in hospitals

Background: This retrospective study carried out during the period 2009–2015, represents an examination of people working in a Multi-profile Hospital of Varna, suffering from temporary disability of the respiratory system, with regard to structure, dynamics and relationship to their working conditions.

Methods: The status and the trends of health of more than 1,000 medical practitioners and other people working in the field of health were examined. Used methods sociological, electronic health record, patient charts and statistical methods. An inquiry was carried out with the purpose of risk assessment for all the workers in the hospital. Leading biological, chemical and physical risk factors at the place of work have been measured.

Results: We found out that the lung diseases take the first place in the temporary morbidity of the contingent under survey. The acute infections of the upper respiratory tract result in absence from work: (I) the yearly average of 100 workers shows 17 new cases and 812 days of absence due to acute bronchitis; (II) the yearly average of 100 workers—13 new cases and 1,035 days of absence from work due to pneumonia and COPD; (III) the yearly average of 100 workers—4 new cases and 859 days of absence from work. Thereby the overall indexes characterizing the temporary incapacity of the respiratory system are: frequency—35.44 new cases and frequency of the days—249.71 days of absences due to these diseases. Failure to observe the requirements for healthy and safe work conditions and especially the use of personal protective equipment, as well as the restriction of the vaccination of the employees, are one of the main reasons for the temporary incapacity disease of the respiratory system.

Conclusions: Our study, conducted for many years, proved that the respiratory system disorders are increasingly becoming one of the most important medical, social and financial problems. Most important measures to control and to reduce the respiratory infections, as well as the observation of their effectiveness, are undoubtedly necessary. They include, in order of priority: (I) the elimination of the occupational risk at source through the use of technical and organizational measures for control; (II) in the event the rest of the risks could not be controlled by collective measures, the employer should apply the appropriate measures, personal protection, together with immunization and a preventive medical examination.

Keywords: Hospital markers; risk factors; respiratory system