A Comparison of Occupational Carpal Tunnel Syndromes Notified in the Czech Republic and in the U.S.A.

Overview

The authors compared a group of 54 patients having been notified as suffering from the occupati- onal carpal tunnel syndrome by the Clinic of Occupational Diseases, General University Hospital in Prague with a group of 38 patients, where the syndrome was notified by the Clinic of Occupati- onal Diseases in Albany, New York, U.S.A. The group of patients examined in Prague included significantly more men (61% versus 21%, p < 0.05), the mean age at the time of diagnosis being higher by 6 years (p < 0.05), the mean duration of exposure being longer by 8 years (p < 0.01), a interval between the first occurrence of first signs of the syndrome and notification of the occupational disease longer by 1.5 year (p < 0.01) and a higher incidence of severe EMG findings (67% versus 27%). The syndrome occurred in the Prague patients mostly as an isolated diagnosis (in 81%), whereas in the patients from Albany it was mostly accompanied by other accompanying diagnoses (in 83%). In 90% of patients from Albany the syndrome developed at work characterized by repetitive light movements, whereas in 98% of the Prague patients it resulted from heavy physical work. The observed differences are apparently due to several causes. In addition to different structure of the industries a role is played by different diagnostic and evaluation crite- ria and also varied perception of health complaints or motivation for obtaining the status of occupational disease in the two populations.

Key words:
carpal tunnel syndrome, overload, RSI, EMG