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Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome is a reasonably common disorder among working individuals. It may also be a cause of functional impairment. The aim of the study was to screen for the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome among hospital workers by non-invasive ultrasound. Results: The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosed by ultrasound among hospital workers was 21.5%. Age and Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire scale were positively correlated to median nerve cross sectional area. Conclusions: Ultrasound can be used as a non-invasive and convenient method for screening for carpal tunnel syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Stroke is a major cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Poor knowledge of stroke risk factors, symptoms and appropriate response to stroke are possible causes of poor outcome. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitude towards different aspects of stroke in a sample of Cairo University Hospitals' workers. Patients and methods A structured self-administered questionnaire was administered by 111 workers who were classified into clinical workers (physicians, house officers, nurses, laboratory technician and pharmacists) and nonclinical workers (administrative, sanitary and security workers). Results Out of 111 participants, 92 completed the questionnaire. Most participants had heard of stroke (91.3%), mostly through encountering a family member with a stroke rather than through mass media (10.9%). Hypertension was the most common identifi ed stroke risk factor (66.3%). Clinical workers were more likely to identify risk factors. The most common identifi ed stroke symptoms were slurring of speech (38.5%) and elevated blood pressure (38.5%). Clinical workers were more likely to identify symptoms such as slurring of speech (P = 0.042) and altered state of consciousness (P < 0.001). The most frequent response to an attack of stroke was transferring the patients to a hospital (59.8%). Conclusion Knowledge and perception of stroke in Cairo University Hospitals' workers appear to be poor, especially among nonclinical workers. Planning educational programs for raising the level of knowledge and awareness of stroke, both on the level of hospital workers and on the public level, is important to improve stroke management and outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge and awareness of stroke and its symptoms is poor in the general population in developing countries. Hospital workers, who are considered sources of information for the rest of the community, may not have optimal knowledge to disperse to the public. Objective: To assess the level of knowledge and awareness towards Stroke among university hospital workers. Methods: A structured questionnaire was developed and self-administered to workers and medical students in two university hospitals in Egypt by convenience sampling, over 3 months. Respondents were classified as either clinical or non-clinical workers. Results: Out of 368 respondents, 296 respondents completed the questionnaire (age 30.49 ±10.59; 34.5% males). Knowledge of stroke risk factors was poor, especially in non-clinical workers. Hypertension was however more recognized as a risk factor by non-clinical workers (p=0.03). The most commonly identified symptom was slurring of speech (41%) while weakness on one side was only recognized by 29.9%. Most respondents said they would go to hospital in the event of stroke, especially non-clinical workers (p <0.001). There was no association between selfreported risk factor profile and the perceived lifetime-risk of stroke (p=0.07). Conclusion: Knowledge of stroke appears poor among individuals working at the two university hospitals studied. Specific educational programs need to be devised to improve stroke knowledge among this important segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]