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Musculoskeletal Pain Symptoms and Injuries Among Endoscopists Who Perform ERCP

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Abstract

Background and Aims

The leaded protective gear worn, patient and endoscopist positioning, and longer average procedural time place endoscopists who perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) at an increased risk of injuries as compared to other endoscopists. While multiple studies have investigated the prevalence of various pain symptoms and injuries among endoscopists, only one has been carried out in endoscopists who perform ERCP, and none have investigated potential predisposing risk factors. Our aim was thus to assess the prevalence of these pain symptoms, injuries, and potential risk factors.

Methods

An anonymous electronic survey containing 23 questions was sent to 3276 gastroenterologists. Only providers that performed ERCPs were asked to respond.

Results

A total of 203 surveys were completed. Of the 203 respondents, 91% reported a musculoskeletal pain symptom. The most prevalent pain symptoms were neck pain (24%) and lower back pain (17%). In total, 48% of respondents reported a musculoskeletal injury. In total, 32% attributed these injuries to performing ERCPs. The most prevalent musculoskeletal injuries were De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (16%) and cervical radiculopathy (12%). Only 25% of participants had received any education/training on ergonomics in endoscopy.

Conclusions

The majority of endoscopists who perform ERCPs suffer from a musculoskeletal pain symptom, and almost half report a musculoskeletal injury. Further investigation regarding risk factors and preventative strategies is warranted. This information can then be incorporated into ergonomics education which only a small proportion of advanced endoscopists report having received any training in.

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Funding

No funding was obtained for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Digestive Diseases, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    Earl V. Campbell III, Thiruvengadam Muniraj, Harry R. Aslanian, Loren Laine & Priya Jamidar

Authors
  1. Earl V. Campbell III
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  2. Thiruvengadam Muniraj
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  3. Harry R. Aslanian
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  4. Loren Laine
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  5. Priya Jamidar
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Correspondence to Earl V. Campbell III.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical statement

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research ethics committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

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Campbell, E.V., Muniraj, T., Aslanian, H.R. et al. Musculoskeletal Pain Symptoms and Injuries Among Endoscopists Who Perform ERCP. Dig Dis Sci 66, 56–62 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06163-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-020-06163-z

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