The hazards to practitioners of obstetric and gynecological ultrasound

Objectives: To investigate the specific complaints of physicians and technicians performing obstetric and gynecological ultrasound. Methods: This was a cross-sectional retrospective survey. Questionnaires were distributed to members of the Israeli Society of Gynecological Ultrasound, including questions on gender and profession, number and type of scans performed, pain related to profession and any therapy undergone. Statistical analysis included chi-square or Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test, Pearson's correlation coefficient and logistic regression. Results joint pain was reported by 51.7% (30/58) of the technicians compared with 25.3% (19/75) of the physicians (P = 0.002). It was more common in females than in males (T = 0.05) and it was more common among those who performed transabdominal sonography more frequently than they did transvaginal sonography (P = 0.004). There was a significant association between performing transabdominal ultrasound and back pain (P = 0.05). Although females reported pain more frequently, the rate of surgical procedures was higher among males (P < 0.05). Conclusions: A technician is 3.5 times more likely to report joint pain than is a physician. Transabdominal sonography is a risk for both joint and back pain. There may be gender differences in pain perception.