More musculoskeletal pain for workers in interventional lab

(HealthDay)—Health care workers who are involved in procedures utilizing radiation more often report experiencing work-related musculoskeletal pain, according to a study published in the March 3 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Nicholas M. Orme, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and colleagues examined the occupational hazards of working in the interventional laboratory. Data were obtained from 1,543 Mayo Clinic employees who responded to an electronic survey.

The researchers found that 67.5 percent of employees reported being involved with procedures that utilized radiation. Compared with the control group, these employees reported experiencing work-related pain more frequently (54.7 versus 44.7 percent; P < 0.001); these findings persisted after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, pre-existing musculoskeletal conditions, years in profession, and job description (odds ratio, 1.67; P < 0.001). There was significant variation in musculoskeletal pain by job description; the highest incidence was seen for technicians and nurses (62 and 60 percent, respectively), followed by attending physicians and trainees (44 and 19 percent, respectively; P < 0.001). The prevalence of cancer did not differ between the groups (9 percent in both groups; P = 0.96).

"Musculoskeletal pain is more common among health care workers who participate in interventional procedures and is highest in nonphysician employees," the authors write.