P-533 Shift Work and Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

Introduction Shift work leads to sleep deprivation and sleep disruption of the immune, inflammatory and endocrine systems. Some chronic inflammatory diseases can be decompensated or exacerbated. Aims To study the impact of chronic inflammatory diseases on the medical fitness for work. Methods Retrospective cross-sectional study which had included shift workers who had consulted the Occupational Medicine Department at the Charles Nicolle Hospital over a seven-year period from January 2016 to June 2023 for a medical decision on their fitness for work. Results Among 243 shift workers, 9% (n=28) had chronic inflammatory diseases consulted by our department. The average age was 38 ± 7 years. The sex ratio (M/F) was 0.47. The most common professional sectors were: health (61%), industry (21%) and services (11%).The most occupied positions were: blue collar workers (25%), nurses (25%), doctors (18%).The average professional seniority was 10±6 years [1-22]. The most common chronic inflammatory diseases presented by the patients were: multiple sclerosis (22%), ankylosing spondylitis (18%), rheumatoid arthritis (11%),myopathy (11%) and scleroderma (8%). A definitive avoidance of shift work was indicated in 93% of the cases. Conclusion Special medical surveillance for workers with chronic inflammatory diseases by the occupational physician is necessary.