di Carlo D, Tangredi G, Giudici M, Papini K
Unità Operativa Ospedaliera di Medicina del Lavoro, Azienda G. Salvini Garbagnate Milanese, Milano.
G Ital Med Lav Ergon. 2003 Jul-Sep;25 Suppl(3):247-8.
The Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common problem in various jobs, but not in the cleaning farms. A population of 99 women working in hospital cleaning activities was investigated to define if, although the risk assessment was negative for cumulative trauma diseases (CTD), the Occupational physician should search or not the CTS. We found that CTS prevalence in exposed group is higher than the common female population not exposed and the female workers are younger, so we can suppose the occupational risk exist although the negative risk assessment. The age and the working-age seem not to be determinant in the pathology of the disease, nether the different working-risks is, therefore the risk assessment doesn't consider other risk factor of the cleaning activities: strength, duration, frequency and recover time. This study confirms that the CTS seems to be a disease related with the cleaning workers and although the risk assessment is negative for CTD the Occupational physician should perform the health survaillance for CTD.
