Assessment and evaluation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among nuclear medicine professionals in India: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are a severe occupational health issue among medical radiation practitioners. It is mostly linked to personal protective wear, working posture, tools employed and ergonomics. OBJECTIVE: To assess and evaluate the musculoskeletal disorders among nuclear medicine professionals (NMP) in India. METHODS: An online survey was distributed to 455 NMP throughout India between November 2021 and March 2022 covering the demographic characteristics and questions for evaluation of musculoskeletal symptoms using the Standardized Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Participants with any pre-existing musculoskeletal disorder or trauma were excluded. Descriptive statistics summarized the data from the demographics, discomfort, aches and work-related musculoskeletal injuries. Chi-square test was used to examine the association between the obtained values. RESULTS: 91 out of 124 respondents were included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results shows that there is a significant association between the height of the individual and neck pain, body mass index and elbows pain, age and low back pain, experience in the current work and upper back pain, the weight of the individual and knee pain, use of mobile lead screens and shoulder pain, use of gonad shield, trouble in the ankles and use of lead screens, and QC phantoms for gamma camera / PET and wrists/hands pain. CONCLUSION: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among NMP are resulting from factors of individual demographic variables (such as age, height, weight, body mass index), years of experience at the current workplace and of using instruments in their work area.

Knowledge of Medical Imaging Professionals on Healthcare-Associated Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a significant concern for both healthcare professionals and patients. With recent advances in imaging modalities, there is an increase in patients visiting the radiology department for diagnosis and therapeutic examination. The equipment used for the investigator is contaminated, which may result in HCAIs to the patients and healthcare professionals. Medical imaging professionals (MIPs) should have adequate knowledge to overcome the spread of infection in the radiology department. This systematic review aimed to examine the literature on the knowledge and precaution standard of MIPs on HCIAs. This study was performed with a relative keyword using PRISMA guidelines. The articles were retrieved from 2000 to 2022 using Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest databases. The NICE public health guidance manual was used to assess the quality of the full-length article. The search yielded 262 articles, of which Scopus published 13 articles, PubMed published 179 articles, and ProQuest published 55 articles. In the present review, out of 262 articles, only 5 fulfilled the criteria that reported MIPs' knowledge of Jordan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, France, and Malawi populations. The present review reported that MIPs have moderate knowledge and precautionary standards regarding HCIAs in the radiology department. However, due to the limited studies published in the literature, the current review limits the application of the outcome in the vast MIPs population. This review recommended further studies to be conducted among the MIPs worldwide to know the actual knowledge and precaution standards regarding HCIAs.