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ECONOMICS AND HEALTH SYSTEMS RESEARCH

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Female Nurse Anesthetists Versus Operating Room Nurses: Prevalence, Laterality, and Impact of Handedness

Departments of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Diaz, Departments of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, 1600 Canal St., Suite 800, New Orleans, LA 70112. Address e-mail to jdiaz{at}lsuhsc.edu

Nurse anesthesia may be a high-risk occupation for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the workplace. We designed a cross-sectional investigation to study the prevalence of CTS in nurse anesthetists (NAs) as compared with operating room nurses (ORNs). Two-hundred forty-four female operating room workers were classified by job title as NAs (n = 63) and ORNs (n = 181). The case definition of CTS was established by a history of surgical correction or a combination of four positive historical and physical findings. There were 10 cases of CTS in NAs and 10 cases of CTS in ORNs. The crude odds ratio (OR) for CTS in NAs was 3.23 (95% confidence interval, 1.27–8.17, P = 0.021). The crude OR for left-hand CTS in NAs was also 3.23 and 3.58 for bilateral CTS. When adjusted for nondominant left-hand or bilateral CTS, the OR for CTS in NAs was 3.85. The Yates-corrected ² for CTS in NAs was 5.346 (P = 0.021) and 5.075 (P = 0.024) for nondominant left-hand or bilateral CTS in NAs as compared with ORNs. On the basis of our data analysis, nondominant left-hand CTS and bilateral CTS were significantly more prevalent in NAs than ORNs.

IMPLICATIONS: Repetitive stress injuries have now exceeded back injuries as the most commonly reported workplace injuries in the United States. Female nurse anesthetists may face greater occupational risks for developing left hand and bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome than female operating room nurses.