[Acute and chronic alcohol abuse and work].
A not moderate alcohol consumption or its abuse have relevant consequences not only on the health of the general population but also on the possibility to carry out any work in safety conditions. These behaviours have focused the attention of the institutions, which have promoted in the last years a growing number of preventive and informative actions and have adopted specific laws that have significantly involved the figure of occupational physician. Over the clinical implications, in fact, those behaviours, in the employment context, are associated with an increased risk of injuries (from 10 to 30% of total), an increase in the number of absences from work, with greater precariousness, with the possible interaction and/or strengthening of other occupational toxics and with the progressive reduction of working capacity. Diagnostic tools available for the detection of alcohol abuse or dependency consist, in acute cases by direct measuring of alcohol on blood, saliva and exhaled air, while in the chronic situations in addiction to the more traditional indicators (AST, ALT, GGT, MCV) there are recently introduced marker (CDT)--or in validation (ethyl glucuronide)--that representing, also with specific questionnaires (AUDIT, MAST, MALT, CAGE), useful integrated tools in the clinical-diagnostic path. The role and contribution of occupational medicine in the management of alcohol related problems is vital and relevant. Must be clear however that these are problems associated with a particular behaviour of the person and not with risks present on work-site.
Riboldi
L
L
U.O. Medicina del Lavoro 1, Clinica del Lavoro Luigi Devoto, Fondazione IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Mangiagalli e Regina Elena, Via San Barnaba 8-20122 Milano, Italy. luciano.riboldi@unimi.it
Bordini
L
L
D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012449:Safety
D000431:Ethanol