Características clínicas, manejo y evolución de pacientes con sindrome de tunel carpiano. Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga, enero 2013 – diciembre 2016

Abstract

Background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome consists of compression of the median nerve at the wrist level, due to postures maintained in flexion of this joint, or repetitive movements using force; producing pain and various associated symptoms. General Objective: Describe the clinical characteristics, management and evolution of patients with diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, in the Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga. Methodology: Descriptive study in all the cohort of patients (168) diagnosed with STC in the Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga, with data collected from medical records, from January 2013 to December 2016. The variables were tabulated through tables and analyzed in Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS 15.0. Results: Of 168 patients, the female sex predominated (81%), the average age was 55.5 years ± 12.1 SD, and the most common occupations were office workers and housework with 25.6% each. The most frequent symptoms were pain (90.5%) and paresthesia (95.8%); and signs Phalen and Tinel were positive in 79.8% and 75% respectively. The average evolution time was 42.1 months. As conservative management, neuromodulators (62.5%) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (58.9%) were the most used. Surgical treatment was performed in 67.3%, followed by 14.15% referred to persistent pain. Conclusions: STC affects female sex more and predominates in people over 55 years of age, mostly office workers, with evolution time greater than one year, and management is mainly conservative, in cases advanced surgical decompression, with a low percentage of complications.