Ergonomic Risk Assessment of Sonographers during Abdominal and Pelvic Sonography

Introduction Identification of scan specific risk factors is crucial for controlling the increasing incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders in sonographers. Objectives The purpose of this study was to conduct a physical ergonomic assessment of sonographers during abdominal and pelvic sonographies by RULA method and to study if any correlation exists between symptoms and RULA. Settings and Design Cross sectional study design, Multicentric, tertiary health care centers Methodology 50 sonographers performing procedures for at least one year and consenting to participate were included in the study. Information of demographic and workload data along with past and present history of musculoskeletal symptoms which they attributed to work-related practices was obtained via questionnaires. RULA assessment was conducted while the sonologist was performing an abdominal/obstetric sonography scan, as it encompasses the major workload of sonologist. Statistical Analysis Analysis of symptom prevalence and mean RULA scores was done and further statistical analysis was performed by Pearsons correlation statistics to check if any relationship exists between the RULA and symptoms. Result 58 % sonographers reported neck pain, 32 % low back and 13 % upper back pain, 40 % wrist and hand, 14 % shoulder pain in the last week. The average total right RULA score and total left RULA score were 6.3 and 5.6 respectively. Statistical correlation represents mild positive correlation (r=0.42, p