TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-term follow-up after methyl chloride intoxication
AU - Rafnsson, Vilhjalmur
AU - Gudmundsson, Gunnar
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - In this study, the authors investigated mortality and cancer patterns among a group of individuals accidentally exposed to methyl chloride 32 y earlier. This group of 24 persons had survived the immediate intoxication, which had occurred on a trawler during a fishing trip. The authors selected a reference group, which contained five times as many individuals as the study group, from registers of crews, and they controlled for age, occupation, social class, and lifestyle factors. The authors established a record linkage through personal identification numbers with the national death register and cancer register, thus securing 100% follow-up. The Mantel-Haenszel point estimate (M-H) was 2.2, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.3–3.1 for all causes of death. There was an excess of deaths from cardiovascular diseases (M-H = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.2–3.8). This excess mortality was more prominent among deckhands who had been subject to higher exposure; risk ratios (RRs) were elevated for all causes of death (RR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.0–5.7), as well as for cardiovascular diseases (RR = 3.9, 95% CI = 1.0–14.4). In addition, the authors noted elevated risks for all cancers (M-H = 1.5, 95% CI = 0.3–5.6) and for lung cancer (M-H = 2.7, 95% CI = 0.1–52.6). The authors concluded that exposure to methyl chloride may have contributed to the risk of cardiovascular disease. Investigators need to conduct further studies on groups exposed to methyl chloride to refute or confirm this result.
AB - In this study, the authors investigated mortality and cancer patterns among a group of individuals accidentally exposed to methyl chloride 32 y earlier. This group of 24 persons had survived the immediate intoxication, which had occurred on a trawler during a fishing trip. The authors selected a reference group, which contained five times as many individuals as the study group, from registers of crews, and they controlled for age, occupation, social class, and lifestyle factors. The authors established a record linkage through personal identification numbers with the national death register and cancer register, thus securing 100% follow-up. The Mantel-Haenszel point estimate (M-H) was 2.2, and the 95% confidence interval (CI) was 1.3–3.1 for all causes of death. There was an excess of deaths from cardiovascular diseases (M-H = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.2–3.8). This excess mortality was more prominent among deckhands who had been subject to higher exposure; risk ratios (RRs) were elevated for all causes of death (RR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.0–5.7), as well as for cardiovascular diseases (RR = 3.9, 95% CI = 1.0–14.4). In addition, the authors noted elevated risks for all cancers (M-H = 1.5, 95% CI = 0.3–5.6) and for lung cancer (M-H = 2.7, 95% CI = 0.1–52.6). The authors concluded that exposure to methyl chloride may have contributed to the risk of cardiovascular disease. Investigators need to conduct further studies on groups exposed to methyl chloride to refute or confirm this result.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0031417705&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00039899709602211
DO - 10.1080/00039899709602211
M3 - Article
C2 - 9546758
AN - SCOPUS:0031417705
SN - 0003-9896
VL - 52
SP - 355
EP - 359
JO - Archives of Environmental Health
JF - Archives of Environmental Health
IS - 5
ER -