00699 - Occupational Medicine (AK-A)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is expected to be able to:

1. Explain a definition of an occupational physician’s field of expertise;
2. Describe the general relation between work activity (risk factors for health and safety), lifestyle and other relevant determinants of health;
3. Define the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of the most common occupational diseases;
4. Describe the medico-legal requirements applicable to occupational injuries and diseases.

Course contents

• Introduction and general fundamentals of Occupational Medicine

  Introduction to occupational medicine

  Classification of occupational risk factors

  Occupational diseases due to Physical, Biological and Biomechanical risk factors

  Some physical risk factors: radiations, heat, noise, hand-arm and whole-body vibration

  Some biological risk factors: airborne diseases (Flu, TBC, Covid-19), bloodborne diseases (Hepatitis B&C, HIV)

  Some biomechanical risk factors Manual work, manual material Handling and related musculoskeletal disorders and diseases (low-back pain, upper and lower limb diseases)

  Occupational diseases mainly due to Chemical risk factors

  Occupational toxicology and industrial hygiene: general concepts

  Respiratory diseases (Pneumoconiosis, Interstitial lung diseases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

  Skin diseases (Acute and chronic dermatitis, Photosensitivity, Folliculitis, Pigment changes)

  Cancers (Lung and Pleura, Upper respiratory tract, Liver, Bladder, Skin)

  Toxicology of metals (Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Mercury, Nickel)

  Toxicology of solvents (Aromatic hydrocarbons: Benzene, Toluene; Alcohols: Methanol, Propanol; Ethylacetate)

  Toxicology of pesticides (Organophosphate and Carbamates; Organochlorine; Pyrethroids; Glyphosate; Dichloropropane)

  Occupational diseases mainly due to psychosocial risk factors

  Models for occupational stress assessment and related health effects

  Special issues

  Occupational medicine in the healthcare work setting

  Reproductive health in the workplace and pertinent legislation

  The practice of the occupational physician and medico-legal requirements applicable to occupational injuries and diseases

Readings/Bibliography

- Mutti A. and Corradi M. Lezioni di Medicina del Lavoro. Nuova Editrice Berti, 2021

- LaDou J and Harrison R. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Occupational and Environmental Medicine. McGraw-Hill Education, 2021

Teaching methods

Classroom lectures and discussions, assisted by slides, videos and handouts

Assessment methods

The exam will focus on the issues indicated in the "Course contents" section.
The exam consists in a multiple choice test with four answers for each question.
Students are asked to select one correct answer from the choices offered as a list.
A total of 64 questions will be included: n.30 on Forensic Medicine, n.30 on Occupational Medicine and n.4 on General and Social Pedagogy.
To get the maximum final score (30/30 cum laude) students should answer correctly to more than 60 questions. If the number of right scoring is 59 or 60 then the final score will be 30/30. Minimum final scoring (18/30) will be awarded for 36 correct answers and pass-scoring for each subject. Final score will be proportionally calculated for intermediate results.
Time for completing the test: 60 minutes.

Teaching tools

If needed, they will be distributed directly or via the university website.

Students who need compensatory tools, due to disability-related reasons or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD), are invited to inform the teacher of their needs as soon as possible in order to adopt appropriate measures.

Links to further information

http://www.unibo.it/docenti/francesco.violante

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Saverio Violante