Boxer P A, Singal M, Hartle R W
J Occup Med. 1984 May;26(5):381-5. doi: 10.1097/00043764-198405000-00013.
We investigated an outbreak of illness in electronics plant workers. Questionnaire data revealed that 98 employees experienced symptoms, including light- headedness , headache, sleepiness, and numbness/tingling of the face or extremities. Attack rates by work station followed no apparent pattern. Extensive medical and environmental evaluation, including air sampling for numerous solvents and gases, provided no physical or chemical explanation for the epidemic. Compared with well employees, ill employees were more commonly female, complained more frequently of bothersome odors, and believed that greater danger existed of the illness recurring. Blood gas analyses of seven of 11 ill workers showed respiratory alkalosis, consistent with hyperventilation. The poorly defined nature of this illness, the absence of exposures to environmental contaminants in concentrations exceeding recommended limits, and the evidence of hyperventilation suggest that this outbreak was an incident of industrial psychogenic illness.
我们调查了一家电子厂工人中发生的疾病暴发事件。问卷调查数据显示，98名员工出现了症状，包括头晕、头痛、嗜睡以及面部或四肢麻木/刺痛。各工作站的发病率没有明显规律。进行了广泛的医学和环境评估，包括对多种溶剂和气体进行空气采样，但没有发现任何物理或化学因素可以解释此次疫情。与健康员工相比，患病员工女性更为常见，更频繁地抱怨有令人不适的气味，并且认为疾病复发的可能性更大。11名患病工人中有7人的血气分析显示呼吸性碱中毒，与过度通气相符。这种疾病定义不明确、未接触到浓度超过推荐限值的环境污染物以及存在过度通气的证据表明，此次暴发是一起工业性心因性疾病事件。
