Vibration related white finger disease: a case report

Year 2019, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 226 - 229, 04.01.2019

Seher Kurtul , Meral Türk

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.379091

Abstract

Vibration related white finger
disease is frequently observed in workers exposed to hand-arm vibration. The
main occupational exposure sources for hand-arm vibration are grinding, road
and concrete breaking, using of grinding wheel, rotary saw, high pressure water
hose, pneumatic hammer, drill, hammer, hand crusher, lawn mower, road roller. A
38-year-old male patient was admitted to our occupational disease clinic with
complaints of pain on both fingertips, swelling on the fingers and occasional
whitening of the fingers on both hands. There was a story of pneumatic hammer
use in a private firm that produced heat resistant plate for 12 years and also
work story in the same company for 2 years in the grinding department. The case
was considered to be a white finger disease due to vibration with current
findings and work history, and medical treatment for white finger disease was
regulated. It has been suggested that the patient should do job change, work in
a non-cold environment, and also avoid work that can cause vibration. This case
who exposed hand-arm vibrations shows the importance of taking a detailed work
history while taking an anamnesis. In screening the health effects of the
hand-arm vibration, the complaints of white finger disease should be carefully
questioned and examined. Vibration-related white finger disease, as in other
occupational diseases, can be protected by taking effective measures at the
workplace. 

Keywords

vibration, occupation, occupational disease, white finger

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