![]() ![]() The results of this study will improve our understanding in a way that might help overcome the limitations of environmental exposure assessment in such a very complex occupational setting.Ī cross sectional study was conducted. As an expected outcome, this study will assess the prevalence of occupationally-related darkroom disease symptoms among the radiographers (exposed group) compared to the nurses (non-exposed group) in the West Bank hospitals in order to implement preventive and effective protocols for the control of this occupationally-related disease. Worldwide, few studies have been conducted on the radiographers in order to clarify the link between their exposures and the workplace related symptoms. Consequently, it is not appropriate to assess the exposure to a single chemical as the outcomes could be related to the overall synergistic and pharmacokinetics interactions between these chemicals in the human body. Therefore, this exposure in such an occupational setting is complex and implies multiple chemicals. During manual film processing, cleaning of the internal components of the film processor or during the normal processing procedures, radiographers might be exposed to the above mentioned chemicals through either direct or indirect skin contact, fumes inhalation or via ingestion. Radiography departments could have poor structural designs together with operational deficiencies of ventilation system and closed/dark workplace. This process of radiographic film development might therefore induce potential exposures to hydroquinone, glutaraldehyde, formaldehyde, glycols (diethylene, triethylene), acetic acid, sodium sulphite, sulfur dioxide, ammonium chloride, silver compounds, 5-nitroindazole, Thiosulphate, 1-phenyl-3-pyramzolidone and other chemicals. Automated x-ray film processing machines achieve short development times by using elevated temperatures (28-35☌), by including glutaraldehyde as a hardening agent within the developer solution, and by actively drying the fixed and washed film with heated air. ![]() ![]() The image is fixed by agents, which dissolve and remove the unused silver halides. X-rays could create a latent image on the film surface by reducing the silver halide crystals to elemental silver then the image is amplified and stabilized during the development process using agents such as hydroquinone. These symptoms include: headaches, skin rashes, shortness of breath, mouth ulcers, unusual heart rhythms, painful joints, runny/stuffy nose and nausea. Extensive use of x-ray processing chemistry on a world - wide basis has raised professional concerns regarding darkroom disease which is a term used to describe unexpected multiple symptoms attributed by radiographer to their work environment when being exposed to film processing chemicals. In many occupational settings, some chemicals could adversely affect health and contaminate the environment. However, trying to interpret our finding directly to chemicals exposure in the radiographers’ occupational setting should be done with caution due to the absence of active or passive monitoring for the suspected chemicals. Our findings could help overcome the limitations usually encountered in such complex occupational exposure. However, the availability of a ventilating machine in the darkroom showed a strong negative association with the mean number of reported symptoms (P-value < 0.001). In multivariate linear regression, staying more than 30 minutes in the darkroom per shift was associated with a significant increase in the mean number of reported symptoms (P-value < 0.001). Furthermore, the differences in the reported prevalence of symptoms among radiographers showed a statistically significant higher percentage for each reported symptom compared to nurses (P-values <0.001). Data analysis showed that the majority of both groups aged between (36–43) years. We were able to recruit 330 radiographers and 242 nurses. MethodsĪ cross sectional study was conducted on a non-random purposive sample of male radiographers (study group) and nurses (control group) using a previously validated and standardized questionnaire. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of occupationally-related darkroom disease symptoms among male radiographers in the West Bank hospitals. Radiographers report many unexplained work related symptoms attributed to “darkroom disease symptoms” such as headache, skin rash, mouth sores, blurred vision, palpitation, and chemical taste. ![]()
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