Occupational sentinel health events: an up-dated list for physician recognition and public health surveillance

Am J Ind Med. 1991;19(6):775-99. doi: 10.1002/ajim.4700190610.

Abstract

An occupational sentinel health event (SHE[O]) is a disease, disability, or untimely death, which is occupationally related and whose occurrence may: 1) provide the impetus for epidemiologic or industrial hygiene studies; or 2) serve as a warning signal that materials substitution, engineering control, personal protection, or medical care may be required. Following survey of scientific literature, a list of 50 disease conditions linked to the workplace was presented in 1983; these were codable within the framework of the International Classification of Diseases system (ICD-9). Three criteria were used for inclusion: documentation of associated agent(s), of involved industries, and of involved occupations. The up-dated list contains 64 diseases or conditions and a bibliography of literature citations. The list is useful for the practicing physician in occupational disease recognition, for occupational morbidity and mortality surveillance, and as a periodically up-dated database of occupationally related diseases.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Information Systems
  • Morbidity
  • Occupational Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Occupational Diseases / mortality
  • Occupational Diseases / prevention & control
  • Occupational Health
  • Population Surveillance
  • Quality of Health Care
  • United States / epidemiology