Citation

Huizink AC, Slottje P, Witteveen AB, Bijlsma JA, Twisk JWR, Smidt N, Bramsen I, Van Mechelen W, van der Ploeg HM, Bouter LM, Smid T. Occup. Environ. Med. 2006; 63(10): 657-662.

Affiliation

Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rotterdam, Netherlands. a.c.huizink@erasmusmc.nl

Comment In:

Occup Environ Med 2006;63(10):647-8

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/oem.2005.024687

PMID

16644894

PMCID

PMC2078049

Abstract

BACKGROUND: On 4 October 1992, a cargo aircraft crashed into apartment buildings in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Fire-fighters and police officers assisted with the rescue work. OBJECTIVES: To examine the long term health complaints in rescue workers exposed to a disaster. METHODS: A historical cohort study was performed among police officers (n = 834) and fire-fighters (n = 334) who performed at least one disaster related task and reference groups of their non-exposed colleagues (n = 634 and n = 194, respectively). The main outcome measures included digestive, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, nervous system, airway, skin, post-traumatic stress, fatigue, and general mental health complaints; haematological and biochemical laboratory values; and urinalysis outcomes. RESULTS: Police officers and fire-fighters who were professionally exposed to a disaster reported more physical and mental health complaints, compared to the reference groups. No clinically relevant statistically significant differences in laboratory outcomes were found. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to examine long term health complaints in a large sample of rescue workers exposed to a disaster in comparison to reference groups of non-exposed colleagues. Findings show that even in the long term, and in the absence of laboratory abnormalities, rescue workers report more health complaints.

Language: en