Prevalence, presentation and occupational risk factors of chronic venous disease in nurses

Abstract

Objective In this study involving a group of nurses employed in a number of different medical services with relatively well-defined working conditions, the presence and symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency were screened and their association with work burden and physical working conditions was explored. Methods Of the 294 actively employed nurses during the study period, 232 (79%) were recruited on the basis of their willingness for participation and fulfilment of the inclusion criteria. Results Among the study subjects, 62.9% had at least one symptom of chronic venous insufficiency, and 50.4% were found to have chronic venous insufficiency according to Clinical–Etiology–Anatomy–Pathophysiology classification criteria. A significant association was found between the diurnal ankle circumference difference in the left–right ankles and the mean duration of hospital stay. Conclusions Our results have shown that the average duration of hospital stay, which is among the variables used to estimate the work burden of nurses, is associated with an increased frequency of the signs and symptoms of chronic venous insufficiency.