[Occupational accidents involving the spine: study on nurses at a university hospital]

In order to evaluate certain characteristics of the occurrence of occupational back injury among nursing staff, all workers affected during a period of six months were interviewed. These individuals were 43.2 years old on average and were basically female. There was no statistical significative difference showing a predominance among working turns and among the different nursing ranks involved in the accident. Most of the accidents happened within the hospital unit while they were moving or transporting patients and equipment, because of falls due to slipping floor. The most affected regions of the spinal column were the lumbar and cervical portions. The majority of the subjects affirmed that they had some type of back problem.