Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38142235›Full record

ArticleAnnals of work exposures and health2024

Hand and wrist complaints in dialysis nurses in Germany: a survey of prevalence, severity, and occupational associations.

Elisabeth Ibenthal, Niels Hinricher, Albert Nienhaus, Claus Backhaus

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of work exposures and health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Prevalence of Musculoskeletal Disorders Among Perfusion Staff in Germany.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Elisabeth IbenthalCentre for Ergonomics and Medical Technology, Münster University of Applied Sciences, Steinfurt, Germany.ORCID 0000-0003-2424-2998
Niels HinricherCentre for Ergonomics and Medical Technology, Münster University of Applied Sciences, Steinfurt, Germany.
Albert NienhausInstitute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing (IVDP), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Germany.
Claus BackhausCentre for Ergonomics and Medical Technology, Münster University of Applied Sciences, Steinfurt, Germany.
FH Münster · DETechnische Universität Berlin · DEUniversität Hamburg · DE

Funding

Institution for Statutory Accident Insurance and Prevention in Health and Welfare Services, Germany
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

objectiveOccupations involving repetitive movements of the wrists, activities that require a lot of force, and hand-arm swinging are particularly likely to contribute to the development of hand and wrist complaints. The daily setup and dismantling of dialysis machines as part of the dialysis treatment process can strain the wrists and fingers of nurses. However, evidence regarding the relationship between the work activities of dialysis nurses and the incidence of hand and wrist complaints is limited. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and severity of hand and wrist complaints among dialysis nurses in Germany and to relate these to their work activities.

methodsAn online survey was created and sent to 836 dialysis centres in Germany. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used in an online survey to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints in the hands and wrists. The Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) was used to assess symptom severity. Dialysis nurses rated the effort required to set up dialysis machines using the BORG-CR10 scale. The analysis was descriptive.

resultsA total of 122 dialysis nurses (18 male, 104 female; mean age 45 ± 12 years) participated in the survey, and 59% of them reported developing hands or wrist complaints in the last 12 months. According to BCTQ, the average severity of these complaints is 2.0 ± 0.8 (N = 72). The severity of symptoms increased significantly with the number of setups performed by a dialysis nurse per day (rs = 0.35, P = 0.003, N = 72). The nurses rated the effort required to set up the dialysis machines as 2.8 ± 1.8 on the BORG-CR10 scale (N = 101). DISCUSSION: The results of the online survey showed that dialysis nurses were more likely than the general population to experience hand and wrist complaints. The repetitive activities of the hands and wrists while setting up a dialysis machine are thought to be the cause.

conclusionsPreventive measures are needed to reduce hand and wrist strain in dialysis nurses.

Indexed as

Carpal Tunnel SyndromeOccupational ExposureAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceRenal DialysisSurveys and QuestionnairesWristCTSdialysismusculoskeletal complaintsnursingoccupational diseasesurvey

Identifiers

PMID38142235
PMCPMC10877466
OpenAlexW4390172471

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.