Upper Limb Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Operating Room Nurses: A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study

Marco Clari, Giacomo Garzaro, Matteo Di Maso, Francesca Donato, Alessandro Godono, Mario Paleologo, Valerio Dimonte and Enrico Pira
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Marco Clari: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
Giacomo Garzaro: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
Matteo Di Maso: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
Francesca Donato: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
Alessandro Godono: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
Mario Paleologo: Directorate of Allied Health Professionals, Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino University Hospital, 10126 Turin, Italy
Valerio Dimonte: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy
Enrico Pira: Department of Public Health and Pediatrics, University of Turin, 10126 Turin, Italy

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 16, 1-10

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate the association between personal and job characteristics and the risk of upper limb work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among operating room nurses (ORNs). To this end, we collected data from 148 ORNs working at 8 Italian hospitals and measured any upper limb disabilities experienced in the previous year using the Italian version of the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire. The associations between personal and job characteristics and risk of upper limb WMSDs were estimated by unconditional logistic regression models. The prevalence of upper limb WMSDs was 45.9%. Multivariate analysis showed the “female gender” and “monthly hours spent working as a scrub nurse” to be directly associated with a higher DASH score (adjusted OR for gender = 5.37, 95% CI: 1.65–17.51, p < 0.01; adjusted OR for monthly hours as scrub nurse = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.33–7.19, p < 0.01). Overall, our findings indicate that a full-time job (>120 h/month) as a scrub nurse significantly increases the risk of developing upper limb WMSDs among female ORNs. Thus, to reduce such risk in this particularly sensitive population, we recommend urgent implementation of ergonomic interventions on surgical equipment alongside job rotation and medical surveillance programs.

Keywords: scrub nurse; musculoskeletal disorders; ergonomic; operating room; occupational exposure; occupational medicine (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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