OCCUPATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

累积性创伤障碍已经成为一种重要的职业性疾病， 健康问题。 最近在众议院政府作证时， 行动小组委员会在就业和住房，累积创伤 疾病被称为“1990年代的头号职业危害”。 许多案例报告和报纸文章都强调了这种健康 关注，但所需的流行病学数据稀少。 腕管综合征 (CTS)是最常见和最广泛的 累积性创伤障碍 本研究将探讨 腕管综合征，并研究工作相关的危险因素，这些 累积伤害。 数据输入的文书和贸易职业 操作员，法院书记员，木匠，管道安装工是根据， 人体工程学的考虑，小学教师被选为 参考组。 研究设计包括工作/任务接触矩阵 结合流行病学方法，采用两阶段设计 结合横断面调查和巢式病例对照研究， 100例CTS病例和100例对照。 可获得的较大样本量 横断面调查将提供更好的估计CTS患病率 在选定的职业群体中，病例对照阶段是 旨在更好地解决CTS的特定职业风险因素。 简化电诊断测试将用于检查临床和 CTS的诊断问题，通过比较来自 自我报告症状、临床检查和正中神经感觉 和运动神经传导测试 这些流行病学信息将 帮助建立未来的干预和预防方案， 确定未来的研究需求。

Cumulative trauma disorders have emerged as a significant occupational health problem. In recent testimony before the House Government Operations Subcommittee in employment and housing, cumulative trauma disorders were labeled "the number one occupational hazard of the 1990's". Numerous case reports and newspaper articles have highlighted this health concern, but needed epidemiologic data are sparse. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most commonly reported and widespread of the cumulative trauma disorders. This study will examine the magnitude of carpal tunnel syndrome and also study work related risk factors for these cumulative injuries. The clerical and trade occupations of data entry operators, court clerks, carpenters, pipe fitters are selected based, on ergonomic considerations, and elementary school teachers are selected as a reference group. The research design includes a job/task exposure matrix integrated with the epidemiologic methods, and a two-stage design incorporating a cross-sectional survey and a nested case-control study of 100 CTS cases and 100 controls. The larger sample size obtainable in the cross-sectional survey will provide better estimates of CTS prevalence among the selected occupational groups, and the case-control phase is designed to better address specific occupational risk factors for CTS. Abbreviated electrodiagnostic testing will be used to examine clinical and diagnostic issues of CTS through comparisons of results derived from self-reporting of symptoms, clinical tests and the median nerve sensory and motor nerve conduction tests. This epidemiologic information will help to establish future intervention and prevention programs and to identify future research needs.