RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Computers have become a fundamental part of clinical radiology departments. Radiologists tend to spend long hours in front of computers, reading and analyzing medical images. This prolonged use of computers is associated with digital eye strain. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the prevalence of digital eye strain among radiologists and determine its contributory factors. METHODS: An online survey was sent to radiologists practicing in hospitals in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The survey addressed demographic information, workload and workstation environment, personal eye care, and evaluation of digital eye strain symptoms as well as the strategies employed to reduce these symptoms. Results were analyzed descriptively using Chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The survey was completed by 198 participants (111 men and 87 women), including residents (40.9%), senior registrars (27.3%), and consultants (27.3%). Most participants (71.2%) were aged below 40 years. Most participants tend to spend 7-9 hours daily reviewing medical images. Overall, 50 participants (25.3%) take a break from work once daily only. A total of 53 participants (26.8%) reported undergoing an eye examination within the past year and 100 participants (50.5%) reported experiencing digital eye strain. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that female sex (odds ratio [OR]â¯=â¯3.9; 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.6-10.0) and the practice of taking breaks once a day (ORâ¯=â¯15.1; 95% CI: 2.4-94.1) or twice a day (ORâ¯=â¯5.5; 95% CI: 1.1-28.4) only were associated with higher rates of digital eye strain symptoms. CONCLUSION: Digital eye strain is a prevalent condition among radiologists regardless of their subspecialty. It is more commonly seen among radiology residents. Being a female and not taking frequent breaks were associated with higher rates of digital eye strain.
Asunto(s)
Radiólogos , Radiología , Anciano , Estudios Transversales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Carga de TrabajoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND Shoulder pain is a common complaint in general practice and typically has an orthopedic or rheumatological etiology. However, it may be the presenting symptom of a serious underlying condition, such as lung cancer. CASE REPORT A 60-year-old man with a 30 pack-year history of smoking presented with worsening right shoulder pain over the last 6 months. He had no respiratory symptoms or weight change. He was seen at several general practice clinics and treated for a rotator cuff injury. However, his pain became severe, to the point that it affected his activities of daily living. A shoulder X-ray revealed opacity in the right apical zone. After a thorough investigation, the patient was found to have lung cancer with local invasion and intracranial metastases. However, in light of the advanced stage of the disease, a palliative approach was taken. The patient remained on multiple oral analgesics for the control of his pain. CONCLUSIONS The present case shows that common symptoms such as shoulder pain can be indicative of serious underlying pathology. Physicians should remain alert and maintain a high index of suspicion for Pancoast tumor in patients who are heavy smokers. Furthermore, a chest X-ray needs to be performed in elderly patients and smokers with shoulder pain.