Ergonomic risk assessment of working postures of nurses working in a medical faculty hospital with REBA and RULA methods.

The aim of the study is to reach objective results about the ergonomic risks of nurses' working postures not only by using questionnaires but also by using Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) methods, which are risk assessment methods used in engineering fields. This study is a cross-sectional study. First of all, 383 nurses were evaluated with a survey. 91.4% of the nurses were women and 6.5% were men. Average age (female: 38.20; male: 31.5), average weight (female: 65.60 kg; male: 81.50 kg), average height (female: 162.7 cm; male: 176.80 cm) and average body mass index (female: 24.80; male: 26) were calculated. In the hospital, which we grouped into in the hospital, which we divided into eight workstations, the REBA and RULA scores of the three nurses working at each workstation were calculated and the average REBA and RULA scores of the workstations were determined. The percentage of those who experienced musculoskeletal pain in the last 1 year at each workstation and the mean REBA-RULA scores were as follows; ward (92%; 6.92-5.69), operating room (98%; 10-7), emergency department (100%; 6.08-5.33), outpatient clinic (75%; 5.5-5.16), intensive care (94%; 6.21-5.57), administrative affairs (94%; 5-5), laboratory (95%; 5.80-5.2) and interventional procedure (92%; 6.4-5.4). In these stations, the highest scores were seen in the operating room. In the questionnaire, 92.46% of the nurses reported having complaints in at least one part of the musculoskeletal system in the last year. The hospital weighted mean score was REBA 6.86 and RULA 5.71. When REBA and RULA measurements were evaluated, it was determined that the risk in the departments where the nurses worked was generally at the medium risk level. REBA and RULA scores indicate that ergonomic changes and adjustments should be made. For this determination, the risks of working postures should be determined with quantitative methods.

Occupational accidents and forensic medicine in Turkey.

In Turkey, evaluation of the ratio of loss of working capacity is made according to various laws and regulations. These laws and regulations use different standards in computing the above-mentioned ratio depending on the professional status of the worker, whether he or she is a member of SSK (Social Security Institution) or ES (The Retirement Pension Institution) system. The aim of this study is to point out at the differences and deficiencies in computing the degree of disability and at the need to bring common standards to these computations. This prospective descriptive research is based on the cases of occupational accidents and occupational diseases brought to the 3rd specialized branch of the Institution of Forensic Medicine (which is the highest ruling instance concerning the decision on this field). Of the 164 accident cases included in this research, 95.1% are males, and 4.9% females. According to distribution by age of the cases, the modal group is respectively (30-39) years for men and (12-19) years for women. 43.8% of the injuries were localized at the hand or wrist. No meaningful statistical relationship could be found between the level of qualification of the workers (skilled-unskilled) and the proportion of those suffering from total disability. For the cases included in the categories 3, 4 and 5 is the ES system; the ratio of disability was similar to those computed according to the SSK system. In conclusion, we would like to insist on the need for our country to amend our laws and regulations according to changing and prevailing conditions and sex differentials and to bring homogeneous standards for all workers.

Una definición de las quejas premenstruales en adolescentes (un estudio preliminar Estambul/Turquía)

Este estudio analítico-descriptivo fue llevado a cabo durante el año 2000 con el fin de formular un sistema de clasificación para diferenciar a las adolescentes con alto riesgo de síndrome premenstrual (SPM) y que necesitan una evaluación detallada. Los sujetos fueron divididos en dos grupos según los criterios del DSM-IV (trastorno disfórico premenstrual, TDPM) y el sistema de puntuación del Formulario de Valoración Premenstrual (PAF).Los síntomas más frecuentes en el Grupo I fueron "marcada ansiedad o sensaciones de estar tensa" y "enfado persistente e irritabilidad o aumento de los conflictos interpersonales"; y en el Grupo II fueron "letargia, fatigabilidad fácil o marcada falta de energía". Las visitas al médico por síntomas SPM y la interrupción de la asistencia a la escuela fueron más frecuentes en el Grupo I, que también fue el que mostró síntomas más graves. Además, la mayoría de los síntomas fueron observados en proporción más alta en el Grupo I que en el Grupo II. Esta diferencia fue estadísticamente significativa. En previsión de algunas restricciones a priori, propias de estudios prospectivos en países en vías de desarrollo, deberían llevarse a cabo amplios estudios de campo en los que se diferencien los grupos de riesgo y que incluyan todas las clasificaciones y todos los tipos de características sociodemográficas, con el fin de desarrollar criterios retrospectivos para SPM con diferentes quejas en las distintas estructuras culturales (AU)