OCCUPATIONAL EPIDEMIOLOGY OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

累积性创伤障碍已成为一种重要的职业 健康问题。在最近向众议院政府作证时 就业和住房业务小组委员会，累积创伤 精神障碍被列为“1990年代S的第一位职业病危害”。 许多病例报道和报纸文章都强调了这种健康 令人担忧，但所需的流行病学数据很少。腕管综合征 (CTS)是报道最多、传播最广的 累积性创伤障碍。这项研究将考察 腕管综合征，并研究与工作相关的危险因素 累积伤害。数据录入的文员和贸易职业 操作员、法院办事员、木匠、管道工的选拔依据是 人体工程学方面的考虑，小学教师被选为 参照组。研究设计包括工作/任务暴露矩阵 与流行病学方法相结合，采用两阶段设计 纳入横断面调查和嵌套病例对照研究 CTS组100例，对照组100例。中可获得的较大样本量 横断面调查将提供更好的CTS患病率估计 在选定的职业群体中，病例对照阶段为 旨在更好地解决CTS的特定职业风险因素。 缩写电诊断测试将用于检查临床和 CTS的诊断问题通过比较以下结果 症状、临床测试和正中神经感觉的自我报告 以及运动神经传导测试。这一流行病学信息将 帮助建立未来的干预和预防计划，并 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.