Course: Occupational Medicine

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Course title Occupational Medicine
Course code PRL/VA011
Organizational form of instruction Exercise + Seminar
Level of course Master
Year of study 4
Semester Winter and summer
Number of ECTS credits 2
Language of instruction English
Status of course Compulsory
Form of instruction Face-to-face
Work placements This is not an internship
Recommended optional programme components None
Course availability The course is available to visiting students
Lecturer(s)
  • Nakládalová Marie, doc. MUDr. Ph.D.
  • Boriková Alena, MUDr. Ph.D.
Course content
- The subject of occupational medicine ? goals, content, main components, basic legislation ? WHO, ILO, EU and in the Czech legal system. - Factors of the work environment and their influence on the health of workers, principles of work categorization. New and potentially possible risks (nanotechnology, digitalization). - Occupational diseases, occupational disease hazards, legislation, assessment procedures, recognition, reporting, compensation, statistics. - Occupational health services, role of the provider of these services, occupational health assessments of workers, monitoring of the work environment. - Effects of chemical substances on the organism ? an overview. Major occupational hepatotoxic, nephrotoxic, neurotoxic and hematotoxic substances. - Intoxication (hydrogen cyanide, cyanides, carbon monoxide, aromatic amino-nitro compounds, heavy metals ? lead, toxic alcohols ? methyl alcohol, glycols; pesticides, organophosphates), diagnosis, first aid, therapy, antidotes. - Occupational skin diseases. - Occupational communicable and parasitic diseases, travel medicine. - Effects of ionizing radiation. - Carcinogens in the work environment, malignant diseases as occupational diseases. - Pneumoconiosis. Definition, classification, detailed descriptions of silicosis, coal workers? pneumoconiosis, asbestosis. - Occupational allergic respiratory diseases. Byssinosis. - Overview of diseases caused by vibration, especially transmitted to the upper limbs, overloading of the limbs and spine.

Learning activities and teaching methods
Monologic Lecture(Interpretation, Training), Dialogic Lecture (Discussion, Dialog, Brainstorming), Demonstration, Activating (Simulations, Games, Dramatization)
Learning outcomes
Knowledge of the basics of the interdisciplinary field that deals with the impact of the work environment on the health of individuals and populations and the ability to apply the knowledge in practice. Familiarizing students with health hazards in the work environment and their consequences - work-related health impairment, occupational health service principles, preventive measures in workplaces, occupational health assessments and fitness for work assessments. Introducing students to the basic procedures for the diagnosis, assessment, recognition, monitoring and prevention of occupational diseases; familiarizing students with the duties and procedures of the physician in charge.
Students are able to recognize health risk factors at work (such as ionizing radiation, biological agents, chemicals, allergens, carcinogens, overloading, etc.) and their impact on health and are able to implement the knowledge in diagnosis, therapy and prevention in various fields of medicine. They have essential knowledge to assess fitness for work and to manage occupational health impairment. They are familiar with measures to protect and promote health in the workplace, can describe basic procedures for assessing occupational diseases, and can describe the duties of the physician in charge and the occupational health service provider. They can design health promotion programs in the workplace.
Prerequisites
Completing the course prerequisities, available at https://stag.upol.cz/
PFY/VAA31
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PFY/VAB11 and PAT/VAA32
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PAT/VAB11

Assessment methods and criteria
Written exam, Dialog

Active participation in seminars and practicals, a written exam, an interview with the student
Recommended literature
  • American Journal of Industrial Medicine. ISSN 1097-0274.
  • Occupational and Environmental Medicine. ISSN 1470-7926.
  • Boriková, A. et al. (2020). Selected Chapters from Occupational Medicine. Palacky University Olomouc.
  • Koh, D., Gan, W.H. (2022). Textbook of Occupational Medicine Practice. World Scientific.
  • LaDou, J., Harrison, R. (2021). CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment Occupational & Environmental Medicine. San Francisco: McGraw-Hill Companies.


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Study plan (Version): General Medicine (2021) Category: Medical sciences 4 Recommended year of study:4, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Study plan (Version): General Medicine (2025) Category: Medical sciences 4 Recommended year of study:4, Recommended semester: -
Faculty: Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Study plan (Version): General Medicine (2021) Category: Medical sciences 4 Recommended year of study:4, Recommended semester: -