Toxicology Testing in Fatally Injured Workers: A Review of Five Years of Iowa FACE Cases

Details

• Personal Author:
  Anthony, T. Renée ; Bedford R ; Faine B ; Kraemer J ; Peek-Asa, Corinne ; Ramirez M ; Sullivan R
• Description:
  Toxicology testing of fatally injured workers is not routinely conducted. We completed a case-series study of 2005-2009 occupational fatalities captured by Iowa's Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program. The goals of our research were to: (1) measure the proportion of FACE cases that undergo toxicology testing, and describe the factors associated with being tested, and (2) measure the rate of positive toxicology tests, the substances identified and the demographics and occupations of victims who tested positive. Case documents and toxicology laboratory reports were reviewed. There were 427 occupational deaths from 2005 to 2009. Only 69% underwent toxicology testing. Younger workers had greater odds of being tested. Among occupational groups, workers in farming, fishing and forestry had half the odds of being tested compared to other occupational groups. Of the 280 cases with toxicology tests completed, 22% (n = 61) were found to have positive toxicology testing. Commonly identified drug classes included cannabinoids and alcohols. Based on the small number of positive tests, older victims (65+ years) tested positive more frequently than younger workers. Management, business, science, arts, service and sales/office workers had proportionately more positive toxicology tests (almost 30%) compared with other workers (18-22%). These results identify an area in need of further research efforts and a potential target for injury prevention strategies. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Age Factors Alcoholic Beverages Amphetamine Cannabis Demography Laboratories Mortality Occupational Health Safety Substance-Related Disorders Toxicology

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• Keywords:
  Age Factors Alcohol Alcohols Author Keywords: Injury Case Reports Demographic Characteristics Drugs FACE Program Fatalities Fatality Fatality Assessment And Control Evaluation Program Injury Prevention Laboratory Testing Medical Examinations Medical Records Occupational Occupations Substance Abuse Traumatic Injuries

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• Series:
  Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Reports (FACE)
• ISSN:
  1660-4601
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Iowa ; OSHA Region 7
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  10
• Issue:
  11
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062446
• Citation:
  Int J Environ Res Public Health 2013 Nov; 10(11):6154-6168
• Contact Point Address:
  Marizen Ramirez, Injury Prevention Research Center, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, University of Iowa College of Public Health, 105 River St., Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
• Email:
  marizen-ramirez@uiowa.edu
• CAS Registry Number:
  Amphetamine (CAS RN 300-62-9)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2014
• Performing Organization:
  University of Iowa
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b78135c006f624d35ce8b29c05c18a0503824495da197c5210201855b097b9bfbd392eb501f26bb0e59da8d03f7fddd6fd1e8dca0ad4eeace4d0d1e1e47163df
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/229102/cdc_229102_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 600.11 KB ]