THE VALIDITY OF USING QUESTIONNAIRES FOR SCREENING FOR HAND-ARM VIBRATION SYNDROME AND CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME AMONG WELDERS

Introduction: During the welding process and surface finishing, vibrating tools are often used. Long-term occupational exposure to vibration may result in hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). It can either mimic or occur concomitantly with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which represents a diagnostic challenge in workers with CTS exposed to hand-arm vibration for several years. Aim of Work: To investigate the validity of using questionnaires in screening for hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) among welders. Materials and Methods: The study included two groups: an exposed and a non-exposed group. The exposed group included 60 welders in several iron forge workshops. The control group included 64 office workers in Cairo University Hospitals. The participants were subjected to a questionnaire including socio demographic characteristics, and to respond to the hand-arm vibration questionnaire (HAVQ) and carpal tunnel syndrome questionnaire (CTSQ). QuickDASH outcome measure was used to calculate the CTSrelateddisability for all participants. Results: Numbness/tingling for >20 minutes, whitening of finger(s), decreased tolerance to cold were statistically significantly higher among welders compared to controls (30% vs. 7.8%, 10% vs. 1.6%, 23.3%vs. 1.6% respectively). CTS severity scale was statistically significantly higher among welders (12.5%) compared to controls (11%). QuickDASH outcome measure revealed .that 56.7% of welders had CTS-related disability compared to 18.8% of controls Conclusion and Recommendations: Symptoms of HAVS, CTS and CTS-related disability were significantly higher among welders compared to controls. HAV Questionnaire, CTS Questionnaire, and QuickDASH may be useful in screening for .HAVS, CTS and CTS-related disability among welders