ASSESSMENT OF CARPAL TUNNEL SEVERITY IN THIRD-TRIMESTER PREGNANCY USING THE BOSTON CARPAL TUNNEL QUESTIONNAIRE (BCTQ) AT JINNAH HOSPITAL, LAHORE

Abstract

Background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the entrapment of the median nerve at the level of wrist causing symptomatic neuropathy. The most typical symptoms are numbness and tingling in the thumb, index, middle, and radial half of the ring finger. Other common manifestations include burning dysesthesia wrist pain as well as the loss of grip strength and dexterity. Objective of this study was to determine the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome in third trimester of pregnancy with using the Boston carpal tunnel syndrome questionnaire (BCTSQ) in Gynecology and Obstetrics outdoor of Jinnah Hospital Lahore.

Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study,87 subjects were included in study by Non-Probability Convenience sampling technique. Boston carpal tunnel syndrome questionnaire (BCTSQ) was used to evaluate subjects to detect carpal tunnel syndrome severity. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 21.

Results: As per Boston Carpal Tunnel Symptom Severity Scale (BCTQ-SSS), from the total of 87 people who answered the survey, 18 (20.7%) reported with slight symptoms, 44 (50.6%) moderate ones, 22 (25.3%) severe ones, and 3 (3.4%) very severe ones.

According to Boston Carpal Tunnel Functional Status Scale (BCTQ-FSS), we took the same group of 87 respondents, 39 (44.8%) reported with slight functional impairment, 30 (34.5%) moderate, 14 (16.1%) severe, and 4 (4.6%) very severe.

Conclusion: This study concluded that third-trimester pregnant women generally experience mild functional impairment and moderate symptom severity of carpel tunnel syndrome.