Pain In Different Parts Of Body Research Articles

Quantifying Drug-seeking Behavior: A Case Control Study

Background Drug-seeking behavior (DSB) is common in the Emergency Department (ED), yet the literature describing DSB in the ED consists predominantly of anecdotal evidence. Study Objectives To perform a case-control study examining the relative frequency of DSB in suspected drug-seeking patients as compared to all ED patients. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of 152 drug-seeking patients and of age- and gender-matched controls, noting which of the following behaviors were exhibited during a 1-year period: reporting a non-narcotic allergy, requesting addictive medications by name, requesting a medication refill, reporting lost or stolen medication, three or more ED visits complaining of pain in different body parts, reporting 10 out of 10 pain, reporting > 10 out of 10 pain, three or more ED visits within 7 days, reporting being out of medication, requesting medications parenterally, and presenting with a chief complaint of headache, back pain, or dental pain. Results The odds ratios for each studied behavior being used by drug seeking patients as compared to controls were: non-narcotic allergy: 3.4, medication by name: 26.3, medication refill: 19.2, lost or stolen medication: 14.1, three or more pain related visits in different parts of the body: 29.3, 10 out of 10 pain: 13.9, three visits in 7 days: 30.8, out of medication: 26.9, headache: 10.9, back pain: 13.6, and dental pain: 6.3. Zero patients in the control group complained of greater than 10-out-of-10 pain or requested medication parenterally, resulting in a calculated odds ratio of infinity for these two behaviors. Conclusions Requesting parenteral medication and reporting greater than ten out of ten pain were most predictive of drug-seeking, while reporting a non-narcotic allergy was less predictive of drug-seeking than other behaviors.

Work stress of women in sewing machine operation.

The study examined the work stresses of 107 women who were engaged in sewing machine operation in small garment manufacturing units. Of the three types of sewing machines (motor-operated, full and half shuttle foot-operated), 74% of the machines were foot-operated, where throttle action of the lower limb is required to move the shuttle of the machine. The motor-operated machines were faster than the foot-operated machines. The short cycle sewing work involves repetitive action of hand and feet. The women had to maintain a constant seated position on a stool without backrest and the body inclined forward. Long-term sewing work had a cumulative load on the musculo-skeletal structures, including the vertebral column and reflected in the form of high prevalence of discomfort and pain in different body parts. About 68% of the women complained of back pain, among whom 35% reported a persistent low back pain. Common sewing work accident is piercing of the needle through the fingers, particularly the right forefingers. Unsatisfactory man-machine incompatibility, work posture and fatigue, improper coordination of eye, leg and hand are the major problems of the operators. The design mis-match of the work place may be significantly improved by taking women's anthropometric dimensions in modifying the workplace, i.e. the seat surface, seat height, work height, backrest, etc.

Risk Factors for Musculoskeletal Discomfort in Nurses

Although musculoskeletal problems are commonly reported among the working population, including nurses, the prevalence and risk factors for musculoskeletal discomfort in nurses have not been extensively studied in Taiwan. To understand the risk factors and prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in different body parts among nurses in Taiwan, we performed a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire to collect data. A total of 5,269 (93%) nurses completed the questionnaire survey. Musculoskeletal discomfort was found to be prevalent in this group. In terms of location, the lower back was the most commonly reported site of discomfort, followed by lower legs, shoulders and neck. Considering limitation of motion as an indicator of musculoskeletal discomfort severity, the highest levels of prevalence were reported, respectively, in the lower back, shoulder, lower leg, and wrist. Numbness was most commonly reported in lower legs, hands, thighs, and lower back. Risk factors for pain in shoulders/neck included waist-bending and waist-twisting, while those for lower back pain included duration of standing, waist-bending, and weight-lifting. Risk factors for lower leg pain included duration of standing and weight-lifting. Musculoskeletal discomfort was prevalent among nurses (91.6%). Pain in different body parts was related to different ergonomic risk factors while at work, namely, bending and twisting of the waist, and standing for extended periods of time. The development and testing of interventions to minimize these risk factors is warranted in future studies.