Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in nurses and its relationship with the knowledge of ergonomic and environmental factors

Background and Objective: Musculoskeletal disorder is a professional disease which is due to undesirable work condition and is a disturbing factor of health and welfare in societies. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in nurses and its relationship with the knowledge of ergonomic and environmental factors in north of Iran

Methods: This descriptive-analytic study was carried out on 110 nursing staff in Razi and Imam Khomeini hospitals in north of Iran. Questionnaire of the rate of awareness measurement, general questionnaire of musculoskeletal diseases [Nordik] the questionnaires of the health status and the study relationships between some factors in work place were filled out for each nurse

Results: Prevalence of the pain in neckr back, low back, shoulder, knee, thing pain, arm, leg among nurses was 50%, 49%, 58%, 44.9%, 47.3%, 32.7%, 36.4% and 56.4%, respectively. The condition of work place including air filtration [23.6%], light [22.7%] and air condition [4.5%] was not well. Chair [31%] and work table [34%] for work condition and body position of nurses was unsuitable. There was a significant relationship between low back pain and age and time of working per week of nurses [P<0.05]. Nurses knowledge in the filed ergonomy was 77% and 22.2% of nurses trained in body condition during work. 60% of nurses were not trained for correct patient transportation and relocation

Conclusion: Nurses suffered more from pain in low back, knee, neck and legs. Training of nurses for patient transportation and body position during working in hospital is essential

[Comparison of fatigue level, sleep quality and quantity in old and young shift workers]

It is well known that shift work produces fatigue. This effect is enhanced in seniors and could be potentiated by physical and psychosocial job demands. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effects of work-related risk factors, age and shift work on fatigue. The field study was performed based on a questionnaire about sleep characteristics, environmental work-place exposure and fatigue level. Objective noise exposure was also measured. The samples were composed of 201 shift workers of a chemical industry in France. They were divided into two age groups [<40 and >40 years]. No significant effect of temperature, vibration, chemical agents, ergonomics and psychosocial factors was found on fatigue. However, noise exposure resulted in an increase in subjective fatigue [P<0.0001]. Older shift workers reported more fatigue than the younger ones [P<0.01]. Concerning sleep characteristics, sleep duration progressively decreased from evening to morning shifts, night shill being intermediate [P<0.01]. Older shift workers reported more sleep fragmentation [P<0.01], longer sleep duration in the morning shifts [P<0.05] and lesser in the night shifts [P<0.001]. Combined effects of noise exposure and age were observed on sleep quality of night workers [P<0.01]. Older workers are less able to adjust to night work especially if they work in the noisy environments

Evaluation of the 10th External Quality Assessment Scheme results in clinical microbiology laboratories in Tehran and districts

We evaluated the performance of microbiology laboratories in the 10th run of the external quality assessment scheme [EQAS] in Tehran and districts. Each laboratory was sent 2 species of bacteria for identification. Of the 487 laboratories that participated, 437 returned their findings. While 77.0% and 69.9% correctly identified Staphylococcus saprophyticus and Citrobacter freundii respectively, only 29.8% correctly identified Acinetobacter baumanii, 25.3% identified Enterococcus faecalis and 35.6% identified Enterobacter agglomerans. However 78.7% and 79.5% of the laboratories reported correct -results for susceptibility testing for S. saprophyticus and C. freundii respectively