학술논문

Ergonomics and skin and respiratory tract reactions related to antibiotic reconstitution among nurses and ward pharmacists.
Document Type
Article
Source
Drugs & Therapy Perspectives. Aug2016, Vol. 32 Issue 8, p351-356. 6p.
Subject
*RESPIRATORY disease risk factors
*MUSCULOSKELETAL system diseases
*CONTACT dermatitis
*ANTIBIOTICS
*DOSAGE forms of drugs
*ERGONOMICS
*MEDICAL personnel
*PHARMACISTS
*QUESTIONNAIRES
*OCCUPATIONAL hazards
*HOSPITAL nursing staff
*DISEASE risk factors
Language
ISSN
1172-0360
Abstract
Introduction: Reconstituting antibiotics for clinical use requires static postures and repetitive motions which may contribute to the development of musculoskeletal symptoms. Exposure to drugs can cause allergic contact reactions, with antibiotics being the most common cause for occupational contact sensitization among health care workers. Methodology: We evaluated ergonomics and skin and respiratory tract reactions associated with parenteral antibiotic reconstitution among nurses and ward pharmacists in a tertiary hospital in Kuopio, Finland. A total of 28 ward pharmacists and 296 nurses were sent a link to a questionnaire asking about musculoskeletal symptoms and skin and respiratory tract reactions associated with antibiotic reconstitution. All of the 28 pharmacists and 92 nurses (response rate 100 and 31 %, respectively) answered the questionnaire. Results: Musculoskeletal symptoms associated with antibiotic reconstitution were more commonly experienced by the pharmacists than by the nurses (68 vs. 5 %; p < 0.001). Skin and respiratory tract reactions were reported by 33 % of the nurses, but only 18 % of the pharmacists ( p = 0.13). The most common musculoskeletal symptoms experienced by pharmacists were wrist (43 %), neck (43 %) and finger pain (21 %). In the nurses, the two most common skin symptoms were itching (14 %) and rash (10 %), and the two most common respiratory tract symptoms were sneezing (21 %) and cough (9 %). Conclusion: Musculoskeletal symptoms associated with antibiotic reconstitution were very common among pharmacists, reported by two out of every three pharmacists, but relatively rare among nurses. Reconstitution-related skin and respiratory tract reactions were also common, reported by every third nurse and every sixth pharmacist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]