Application of cold intolerance symptom severity questionnaire among vibration-exposed workers as a screening tool for the early detection of hand-arm vibration syndrome: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The detection rate of hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) is very low in South Korea compared with other countries. The absence of uniform consensus and guidelines for diagnosing HAVS has been presumed to be one of the reasons. The HAVS has various manifestations including cold intolerance and its severity can be measured using the cold intolerance symptom severity (CISS) questionnaire. This study aimed to determine whether the CISS questionnaire, being used as a screening tool, can aid in the early detection of HAVS. Methods A total of 76 male workers with vibration-induced symptoms were enrolled as the final study participants. To compare the CISS score of healthy individuals, 41 men who had never been exposed to local vibration were included in the study. In addition to the former medical questionnaire, the participants answered the CISS questionnaire. A statistical analysis was conducted to identify the association of CISS scores with vibration induced symptom and to determine its cut off value. Results The reliability of the CISS questionnaire was proven to be good, with a total Cronbach’s alpha of 0.922. The mean CISS score of the exposed group increased in every vascular stage [stage 0 = 42.6 (18.5); stage 1 = 59.4 (14.1); and over stage 2 = 60.2 (21.6)]. They were significantly higher than that of the non-exposed group. The result was fairly consistent with those in the sensorineural stage. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and area under curve (AUC) of 30 were 88.5, 65.3, 76.1, 82.1 and 0.769, respectively. From the result of logistic regression, the adjusted odds ratio of both components increased by the CISS score grouped by 30s. Conclusions The self-reported CISS questionnaire, used to measure the degree of cold intolerance, showed high agreement with the Stockholm classification of HAVS. Hence, we recommend the use of this questionnaire to assess the level of cold intolerance among vibration-exposed workers and detect individuals who are at risk of vibration-induced impairment with a cutoff value of 30. Trial registration IRB No. 2018–07–040-001 . Registered on 4 September 2018.

Botulinum Toxin Type A for Lumbar Sympathetic Ganglion Block in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Trial

“…The patients were assessed using the 6-item modified cold intolerance symptom severity questionnaire at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months. 22 We excluded the first item, which assesses the symptom type (pain, numbness, stiffness, aching, swelling, and skin color change), from the scoring, and multiple symptoms could be answered concurrently. The remaining items measured the symptom frequency, occurrence time, behavior change for symptom relief, symptom aggravation degree when performing certain activities, and the effect of symptoms on their daily lives.…”

“…Their scores were classified as mild (4 to 25), moderate (26 to 50), severe (51 to 75), and very severe (76 to 100). 22 The patient's global impression of change after the procedure was obtained using a 5-point Likert scale at 1 month and 3 months; moreover, we calculated the proportion of "very much improved" (score 5) and "much improved" (score 4). We collected changes in analgesic dosages after the 1-month visit.…”

Hand-arm vibration management: an operational health and safety strategy framework

“…lawn mowing) (Carra et al , 2019) and dietary habits can also impact upon human health. Poor dietary habits and high cholesterol and life-style choices such as smoking will leave deposits in the vascular system and increase the vulnerability of humans to develop HAVS (Kim et al , 2019a, b). Moreover, women are biologically predisposed to certain ailments such as Reynaud's disease irrespective of exposure (Stjernbrandt et al , 2019).…”

“…Indeed, to enact this process, an organisation must dedicate staff to instigate and oversee the H&S function (Keckler et al , 2019). To this end, the law requires that all high-risk work be covered by a work-place H&S management plan (Kim et al , 2019a, b). The plan includes specific procedures for collecting, analysing and reviewing all hazards (Martinez et al , 2020).…”