Professional paper
Some epidemiological features of low-back pain in nurses within hospital setting
Tomislav NEMČIĆ
; Department of Rheumatology, Phisical and Rehabilitation Medicine University hospital “Sestre milosrdnice“ Zagreb
Astrid MARČIĆ
; Department of Rheumatology, Phisical and Rehabilitation Medicine University hospital “Sestre milosrdnice“ Zagreb
Frane GRUBIŠIĆ
; Department of Rheumatology, Phisical and Rehabilitation Medicine University hospital “Sestre milosrdnice“ Zagreb
Maja DUBRAVICA
; Croatian Institute for Health Insurance
Abstract
Nurses and technicians are jobs often associated with low back pain. Objective was to determine the correlation of low back pain in nurses with their sociodemographic characteristics and with risk factors or specific incidents at work. One hundred and thirty-six nurses and technicians of mean age 38,4 years (range 19-61 years) were included in this study. The study was conducted in eight clinical departments of the University Hospital Sestre milosrdnice in Zagreb. A questionnaire
with the following sections was used: sociodemographic data, beginning and duration of low back pain, correlation of low back pain with certain risk factors or events during patents’ care, as well as specific diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed for low back pain.
The participants had an average 14 years of service at their current departments (range from 2 months to 41 years). Average body weight of the participants was 69 kg (45-115 kg) and average BMI (body mass index) was 24,8. Sixty-four participants (47,0%) stated that their low back pain had been caused by some incident. 38 patients (59,4%) specified lifting immobile patients and 11 patients (17,2%) specified tunning patients in bad as the cause. Other risk factors related
to low back pain were: lifting heavy objects, sudden movements, carrying children, holding patients during lumbar puncture, lifting patients from the tub, changing patients, adjusting the head of the bed, falls and resuscitation procedures. Eighty nurses and technicians (70,2%) took nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs or analgesics for their low back pain and thirty-two nurses (24,1%) were treated
with various methods of physical therapy.In conclusion, low back pain represents a major health problem in the population of nurses, especially when they frequently need to assume physiologically inproper positions while taking care of their patients or during diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Results of this study represent
basis for systematic follow up and point of reference for preventive measures for low back pain.
Keywords
low-back pain; nurses; risk factors
Hrčak ID:
129244
URI
Publication date:
10.9.2007.
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