Ergonomic Injuries in Endoscopists and Their Risk Factors

Abstract

Background/Aims Prolonged repetitive strain caused by the continuous performance of complex endoscopic procedures enhances the risk of ergonomic injuries among health-care providers (HCPs), specifically endoscopists. This study aimed to assess the risk factors of ergonomic injuries among endoscopists and non-endoscopists. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Gastroenterology Department of Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 92 HCPs were enrolled, of whom 61 were involved in endoscopic procedures and 31 were non-endoscopists. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire during national gastroenterology conferences and analyzed using SPSS version 22 (IBM Corp. Chicago, IL, USA). Results Of the total study population, 95.08% of endoscopists were observed to have ergonomic injuries, whereas only 54.83% of non-endoscopists had ergonomic injuries (p5 or <5 hr/wk). Conclusions Endoscopists are at high risk of developing ergonomic injuries, representing the negative potential of the endoscopy-associated workload. To overcome these issues, an appropriate strategic framework needs to be designed to avoid occupational compromises.

Keywords

• endoscopy
• ergonomics
• health-care providers
• musculoskeletal injury
• occupational performance