[The recognition of AIDS as a disabling pathology among the members of the Special Regime of the Sea in the province of Cádiz].

OBJECTIVES

To identify the year in which AIDS appeared as a cause of permanent disability among the members of the Special Sea Regime (REM), and to evaluate the clinical, social and labour characteristics of AIDS patients between 1987 and 1996.

DESIGN

Descriptive study of series of cases.

SETTING

Cádiz Province, 1987 to 1996.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with a disability proposal report from the Provincial Medical Inspectorate of the ISM (Fleet Social Institute) in Cádiz province between 1987 and 1996.

MAIN RESULTS

AIDS appeared as the cause of permanent disability for the first time in 1988. 1994 and 1995 were the years with most cases. Over 90% of the reports of permanent disability analysed, in which AIDS appeared as the cause, belonged to workers professionally classed as sailors. AIDS is a highly disabling disease and accounted for 13.26% of all absolute permanent disabilities. The risk conduct of patients for whom a disability proposal was made was rarely recorded in the reports, which made it impossible to specify it in most cases.

CONCLUSIONS

There must be health education and preventive counselling of REM members who attend the Maritime Health Service for their compulsory pre-embarkation check-up.