ABPM Occupational Medicine case studies
ABPM Occupational Medicine · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Board certification in Occupational & Environmental Medicine (OEM) is offered by the American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) to physicians who protect and promote the health of working populations. The specialty addresses workers' capacity to perform work, the physical, chemical, biological, and social environments of the workplace, and the health outcomes of environmental exposures, including prevention and management of occupational and environmental injury, illness, and disability. The ABPM Occupational Medicine case studies are 5 cases and about 2,356 words.
1The Welder with a Borderline Blood Lead
A 41-year-old welder/burner at a structural steel fabricator has been torch-cutting galvanized steel and applying lead-based paint in a poorly ventilated shop for 6 months. His most recent blood lead level (BLL) is 32 µg/dL, drawn as a routine surveillance test; two months earlier it was 18 µg/dL.
479 words, about 2 min2Night-Shift Bus Driver with Sleepiness
A 52-year-old city bus driver works rotating 12-hour shifts, including frequent night shifts, and has done so for 8 years. Over the past 3 months he has had increasing daytime sleepiness, and last week he nodded off at a red light for a few seconds.
450 words, about 2 min3The Pregnant Lab Technician and a Chemical Spill
A 29-year-old chemistry laboratory technician at a university research building is 14 weeks pregnant. She works with a variety of solvents, including toluene, xylene, and formaldehyde, in a fume hood that has failed its last two certification checks.
506 words, about 3 min4The Firefighter with Heat Exhaustion During Rehab
A 35-year-old firefighter collapses during a live-fire training exercise on a hot, humid day (heat index 104°F). He was wearing full turnout gear and SCBA.
457 words, about 2 min5The Nurse with a Needlestick from an HCV-Positive Patient
A 28-year-old emergency department nurse sustains a hollow-bore needlestick to the left index finger while recapping a needle after drawing blood from a patient known to be hepatitis C positive (HCV RNA positive, genotype 1a). The injury occurred 2 hours ago.
464 words, about 2 min