Symptoms and health status in individuals with multiple chemical sensitivities syndrome from four reported sensitizing exposures and a general population comparison group

Details

• Personal Author:
  Davidoff AL ; Keyl PM
• Description:
  A study was conducted comparing health characteristics among groups of persons suffering from multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) with differing sensitizing exposures and the general population. Subjects with MCS originating from exposure to industrial organic solvents, organophosphate pesticides, or chlorine-dioxide (10049044), or from sick building syndrome and 60 members of the general population were surveyed. Significantly more MCS subjects reported their current health as being "fair" or "poor", that their health status had changed, that they had been disabled, that their social lives were limited, that they were sick for more than 32 hours during the previous week, and that they experienced more than nine symptoms at least weekly during the last 2 months compared with referents. In addition, these patients reported an increased percentage of specific symptoms of each body system surveyed. MCS subjects also reported significantly more altered tolerances to odors, allergens, foods, alcohols, and medicines compared with the general population. MCS subjects were significantly more likely to attribute illness to chemical exposures on a daily basis and to have evidence of longstanding somatic complaints or complaints of sickliness in childhood. MCS syndrome was associated with elevated negative affect scores which correlated significantly with the presence of illness. Few, if any, significant differences were identified between the four groups of MCS subjects. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Hypersensitivity Insecticides Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Organophosphates Safety Solvents Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Chemical-hypersensitivity Clinical-symptoms Closed-building-syndrome Dioxides NIOSH-Grant NIOSH-Publication Occupational-exposure Organic-solvents Organo-phosphorus-pesticides Training
• ISSN:
  0003-9896
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  201-213
• Volume:
  51
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00233272
• Citation:
  Arch Environ Health 1996 May; 51(3):201-213
• Contact Point Address:
  Environmental Health Sciences Johns Hopkins University 615 N Wolfe Street Baltimore, MD 21205
• CAS Registry Number:
  Chlorine dioxide (CAS RN 10049-04-4)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1996
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19910701
• Source Full Name:
  Archives of Environmental Health
• End Date:
  19940630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:c14acb352555afcef5d18d82911e3df2c440b4153dedde31e38c1c7e7972ea9302c022e139fdd3a64cd722c1f1d21c6b1e4a6e31a1b475f1507fd9426d24a510
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205665/cdc_205665_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.44 MB ]