Epidemiology and approach in Carpal Tunnel Syndrom: An analysis of the impact on return on labor

Abstract

Background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is defined as a focal, chronic and symptomatic compressive neuropathy of the median nerve at the wrist. It is the most prevalent neuropathy in the population. The objective of the study to describe the epidemiological, clinical and occupational profile of patients with CTS who underwent median nerve neurolysis in the carpus and the Occupational Therapy intervention attended by the Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Methods: This is a descriptive study, carried out from january 2014 to december 2017 at Centro Estadual de Reabilitação e Readaptação Dr. Henrique Santillo (CRER), in the city of Goiânia, located in the Center-West region of Brazil. The Reference population covered the medical records of patients submitted to the surgical procedure and rehabilitation. During this period, 698 patients underwent surgery and rehabilitation, and the sample of 249 charts analyzed was defined by means of a sample calculation using the finite sample proportion test. A margin of error of 5% was considered in the calculation. Out-of-time-range patients and those with other associated hand injuries were excluded. Our study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee registered under number 97279.121. The data were analyzed with the aid of the SPSS 23 statistical package. In all analyzes, thes ignificancel evel adopted was 5% (p <0.05).Results: The demographic profile was composed of 223 women, representing 89.6% of the sample, in the age group between 40 and 59 years, being 74.7% of right-handed patients. Comorbidities were present in 63.1% of the patients and the main ones are Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH), Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Fibromyalgia. The vast majority of cases were classified as severe or very severe staging. The labor distribution was categorized into 12 distinct groups, with workers doing domestic work prevailing. Conclusion: A greater bilateral involvement was observed in the studied sample, classified in the severe or very severe stages, which resulted in the surgical treatment and early intervention and systematization of occupational therapy, which favored the patient to be replaced in work activities in about 84, 7% of the cases surveyed.