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Autonomic functions among fuel handlers in the Gampaha District

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dc.contributor.author Medagoda, K.
dc.contributor.author Warnakulasuriya, T.
dc.contributor.author Kottahachchi, D.
dc.contributor.author Luke, D.
dc.contributor.author Wadasinghe, D.
dc.contributor.author Ariyawansha, J.
dc.contributor.author Rathnayaka, P.
dc.contributor.author Dissanayake, T.
dc.contributor.author de Silva, D.
dc.contributor.author Devanarayana, N.M.
dc.date.accessioned 2021-02-12T04:42:42Z
dc.date.available 2021-02-12T04:42:42Z
dc.date.issued 2020
dc.identifier.citation Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians. 2020; 51(Supplement 1): 7. en_US
dc.identifier.issn 2448-9514
dc.identifier.issn 0379-802X
dc.identifier.uri http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/21950
dc.description Oral Presentation Abstract (OP07), College of Physicians Annual Conference 2020, 19th - 21st November. Colombo, Sri Lanka.
dc.description.abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Economic growth of Sri Lanka has increased the number of motor vehicles. Fuel stations employing more fuel handlers have been established to cope with the demand. The long working hours with exposure to hydrocarbon fuels result in adverse health effects and this study was done to assess the cardiovascular autonomic functions (ANF) including heart rate variations (HRV). METHOD: Fifty fuel handlers from the Gampaha district of Sri Lanka (19-65 years; all were males) from 7 fuel stations were recruited using consecutive sampling and compared with 46 age and gender matched individuals without occupational exposure to fuel (controls). Demographic data were collected after obtaining informed written consent and systematic examination was conducted. ANF assessment and HRV assessment were performed using validated protocols. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in age, weight, height or the BMI among the study and the control populations (p>0.05). Both systolic blood pressure (BP) (Mann Whitney U (MW)= 743.5, p=0.003), diastolic BP (MW= 686.5, p=0.001) and Valsalva ratio (MW= 874.00, p=0.043) were significantly higher among the fuel handlers compared to the controls. Rise in DBP in sustained handgrip, a sympathetic parameter was significantly higher among controls (MW= 863.00, p=0.049). Among HRV parameters, standard deviation of RR intervals was higher among the fuel handlers compared to controls (MW=842.QO, p=0.034). Parasympathetic parameters correlated with exposure hours per week (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Altered sympathetic: parasympathetic balance was observed among the fuel handlers with a parasympathetic predominance suggesting that autonomic functions are affected on expo­ sure to air pollution and hydrocarbons.
dc.language.iso en_US en_US
dc.publisher Journal of the Ceylon College of Physicians en_US
dc.subject Autonomic functions en_US
dc.title Autonomic functions among fuel handlers in the Gampaha District en_US
dc.type Conference abstract en_US


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    Papers presented at local and international conferences by the Staff of the Faculty of Medicine

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