title: Changes in subjective symptoms and allergy state among medical students exposed to low-level formaldehyde 6 months after completion of a gross anatomy dissection course.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our purpose was to clarify whether subjective symptoms of low-level formaldehyde (FA) exposure in medical students were transient or persistent and to investigate whether the allergy state changed as a result of exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed the prevalence of medical students' subjective symptoms and their allergy state before, during, and 6 months after completion of a gross anatomy dissection course by using two self-administrative questionnaires. Students completed the first survey at the end of the anatomy course to assess symptoms before and during the course. The second survey was completed 6 months after course completion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of most subjective symptoms was lower 6 months after the course than during the course. The major symptoms experienced during the course were eye fatigue, runny nose, and dry eyes. The most common symptom 6 months after the course was eye fatigue. Four students continued to experience symptoms even after course completion. Three students developed symptoms only after course completion. Forty-eight students had allergies before the course began and the severity of the allergies did not change after the course. Additionally, the prevalence of most subjective symptoms 6 months after the course was lower than before the course. The patterns of subjective symptoms in the three periods differed between male and female students; the prevalence of most subjective symptoms tended to be higher in females.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjective symptoms resulting from FA exposure during a gross anatomy course were transient and did not affect students' allergy states.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka, 830-0011, Japan, mkano@med.kurume-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mihoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Michiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoshiko
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hara
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saga
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamaki
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishitake
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D005260:Female; D005557:Formaldehyde / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D005557:Formaldehyde