PERIOPERATIVE NURSES CHAPTER

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42^nd ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE

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ACACIA HOTEL KISUMU CITY

SYLVESTER KIBET (KRPON,KRN)

ESTHER MUINDU (BSN,KRPON)

5^TH -7^TH NOVEMBER 2025

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MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS IN OPERATING ROOM STAFF

• Work related musculoskeletal disorders(WRMSDs) are injuries affecting connective tissues of the body and are leading causes of occupational injury and disability in the world( Micky Olutende et al., 2022)
• MSP top the list of the most common work related ailments in Austria and is the second leading cause for taking sick leave. (Peter Hoppe et al., 2018)
• WRMSDs represent a high prevalence issue among perioperative nurses. OR nurses are steadily exposed to both physical and temporal risk factors. (Marco Clari et al., 2021)

Cont.

• MSDs were mostly seen among OR and ICU nurses and were the main cause of absenteeism, demanding change of duty or job and visiting a physician.
• WRMSDs associated with cumulative trauma and repetitive tasks included: Lifting, transferring or repositioning, prolonged standing and awkward postures e.g. stooping, bending and reaching out.(Pinar Soylar, Ali Ozer 2018)

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Prevalence and distribution of MSP�

• Commonly affected body regions include Lower back, Shoulder, Neck, Knees and Wrists/hands.(Pinar Soylar, Ali Ozer 2018)
• Back pain 84%, Ankle/foot 74%, Shoulder 74%
• Causes of absenteeism from work Lower back pain at 31%, Ankle/knee 24%
• According to Ali Sheikhzadah et al in the journal in Elsevier Vol 40 issue 5 2009

Cont.

• According to Marco Clari et al (2021), Lower back pain 62%, Knee 47%, Shoulder 44%, Waist 42%, Neck 39% Ankle/feet 35%, Upper back 34%, Hand/Wrist 29% and Elbow at 18%.
• Elnaz Asghari et al (2019), Observed that High prevalence of MSP was distributed as: Lower back 61.9%, Knees 60.5%, Ankle/ Feet 55.8%
• Aynur Koyuncu et al (2023) noted a high prevalence of work-related MSP among ORNs. Age, BMI, operating room experience, and working as a scrub nurse in the operating room contributed to this pain

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Cont.

• B.Tanui (2015), in her study Assessment of WRMSDs among nurses in Mombasa county studied responses of 130 nurses 70.8% had WRMSDs at any part of the body. Low back at 76.9%, Neck at 53.8% and Shoulder, ankle and feet 48.5%

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NH OR

• Experienced shoulder pains (53.8%)
• Attributed to
• Lifting of patients (42.8%)
• Awkward posture(57.2%)
• Lack of proper ergonomics

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Knowledge on Work ergonomics

• Aware-38.5%
• Little knowledge-53.8%
• I do not understand-7.7%
• Strongly recommended training on ergonomics

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Interventions to relieve pain

What are the risk factors(Other studies)

• Lifting patients/ Loads
• Repetitive tasks
• Repositioning patients/loads
• Prolonged standing
• Awkward postures e.g. Bending, stooping, reaching out
• Working for long in the same position
• LACK OF PROPER ERGONOMICS
• Age, BMI, OR experience, and working time as a scrub nurse in the OR.

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What is suggested

• Use of lifting equipment
• Interchanging tasks regularly
• Breaks in between tasks
• Simple ergonomic solutions be adopted to improve work environment
• Training and exercise programs to ease pain

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Found this helpful

• Neutral body position while operating
• Shoulder and arms: Limit hand reach to a maximum of 16-18 inches
• Keep your hands between your waist and the midline of your chest.
• Position the angle of your elbows between 90 and 120 degrees
• Neck: Avoid rotation and do not tilt more than 15 degrees

Cont.

• Back: Do not flex or extend the spine, Shift your weight occasionally from one foot to the other
• Equipment consideration
• Table height: Adjust to 70-80% of elbow height
• Monitors: Usually placed too high and far away. Should be 80-120cm away from your eyes and level.

Cont.

• Preferably HD monitors to reduce eye strain
• Optimal lighting to reduce eye strain
• Stepping stools: Ensure sufficient stepping area to avoid compromising your foot balance
• Lead aprons: Appropriate sizing and construction

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Ergonomics

References

• Marco,C., Alessandro,G., Giacomo,Garzaro., Gianluca,V., Maria,G., Giuseppe,M., Attilia, G., Catalina,C., and Valerio,D. (2021) Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among perioperative nurses: a systematic review and META-analysis:
• Pinar Soylar., Ali Ozer. (2018) Evaluation of the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders in nurses: A systematic review. Medicine Science 2018;7(3):479-85
• Ali,S., Chaitrali,G., Joseph D.Z., Margareta,N.,(2009) Perioperative nurses and technicians’ perceptions of ergonomic risk factors in the surgical environment. Applied Ergonomics 2009: 40(5): 833-839

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ANY QUESTION