Half-century archives of occupational medical data on French nuclear workers: a dusty warehouse or gold mine for epidemiological research?

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_A3B05AAEA9D4
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Half-century archives of occupational medical data on French nuclear workers: a dusty warehouse or gold mine for epidemiological research?
Journal
Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju
Author(s)
Garsi Jérôme P., Samson Eric, Chablais Laetitia, Zhivin Sergey, Niogret Christine, Laurier Dominique, Guseva Canu Irina
ISSN
1848-6312 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0004-1254
Publication state
Published
Issued date
12/2014
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
65
Number
4
Pages
407-416
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Historical Article ; Journal Article
Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
This article discusses the availability and completeness of medical data on workers from the AREVA NC Pierrelatte nuclear plant and their possible use in epidemiological research on cardiovascular and metabolic disorders related to internal exposure to uranium. We created a computer database from files on 394 eligible workers included in an ongoing nested case-control study from a larger cohort of 2897 French nuclear workers. For each worker, we collected records of previous employment, job positions, job descriptions, medical visits, and blood test results from medical history. The dataset counts 9,471 medical examinations and 12,735 blood test results. For almost all of the parameters relevant for research on cardiovascular risk, data completeness and availability is over 90%, but it varies with time and improves in the latest time period. In the absence of biobanks, collecting and computerising available good-quality occupational medicine archive data constitutes a valuable alternative for epidemiological and aetiological research in occupational health. Biobanks rarely contain biological samples over an entire worker's carrier and medical data from nuclear industry archives might make up for unavailable biomarkers that could provide information on cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Keywords
Adult, Archives/history, Biological Specimen Banks/history, Cardiovascular Diseases/epidemiology, Cardiovascular Diseases/history, Cohort Studies, Environmental Monitoring/history, Environmental Monitoring/statistics & numerical data, Female, France/epidemiology, History, 20th Century, History, 21st Century, Humans, Male, Medical Records, Metabolic Diseases/epidemiology, Metabolic Diseases/history, Middle Aged, Nuclear Power Plants/history, Occupational Diseases/epidemiology, Occupational Diseases/history, Radiation Injuries/epidemiology, Radiation Injuries/history, Uranium/toxicity, Young Adult
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
12/09/2017 13:48
Last modification date
20/08/2019 16:09
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