We measured the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms among cytotechnologists in the metropolitan Washington, DC, area. We surveyed cytotechnologists to assess the prevalence of neck, shoulder, upper-back, elbow/forearm, hand/wrist, and lower-back symptoms in the prior year. Eighty-two (69%) of 125 cytotechnologists returned questionnaires, of which 95% were working as cytotechnologists. The prevalences of neck (61.5%), hand/wrist (56.4%), and lower-back (42.3%) symptoms were highest. Laboratory workers routinely involved in microscope-related work may be at risk for cumulative trauma disorders. We concluded that an ergonomic approach to this problem can help prevent musculoskeletal symptoms.
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Kalavar et al. (1996) studied this question.