Diseases, occupational physical agents

According to OSHA, if you are an employee who may have been exposed to toxic substances or harmful physical agents at work, the standard may help you detect, prevent, and treat occupational disease. 

Oral anticoagulants are ordinarily contraindicated in the presence of active or past gastrointestinal ulceration thrombocytopenia hepatic or renal disease malignant hypertension recent brain, eye, or spinal cord surgery bacterial endocarditis chronic alcoholism and pregnancy. These agents also should not be prescribed for individuals with physically hazardous occupations. 

This chapter describes the basic characteristics of viruses and the relatively limited number of drugs that can act selectively as antiviral agents. Methods of preventing viral infections (antiviral vaccines) are also briefly discussed. Finally, the current methods of treating a specific viral-induced disease—AIDS—are presented. Rehabilitation specialists often treat patients who are in the active stages of a viral infection, as well as those suffering from the sequelae of viral disorders, such as gastroenteritis, encephalitis, and influenza. Hence, the pharmacotherapeutic treatment and prophylaxis of viral infections should concern physical therapists and occupational therapists. 

The effectiveness of modern masks depends on both physical adsorption and chemical inactivation of the threat agent. For example, in the M17 protective mask the adsorbent, known as ASC Whetlerite charcoal, is charcoal impregnated with copper oxide and salts of silver and chromium.6 The M40 protective mask uses an ASZ impregnated charcoal, which substitutes zinc for the hexavalent chromium (CrVI). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute for Occupation... 

A distinction is usually made between primary prevention, i.e. inhibition of the induction and onset of a disease, and secondary prevention, i.e. inhibition of relapses. Tertiary prevention aims at inhibition of worsening ( quality of life ). The value of disease prevention is evident to individuals, the community and the medical profession. For human, social, and economic reasons, it would be of great benefit if people exposed to harmful chemicals and products, physical factors, and biological agents could be protected from developing occupational skin diseases. 

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