American Journal of Industrial Medicine 22143 (1992)
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Query on Non-Back Occupational Injuries Key words: occupational injuries, back problems
Since we no longer have access to the medical records of the postal employees we have studied, we cannot carry out the analysis that Dr. Shaw [1992] suggests. However, when we worked for the Postal Service, we examined most of the employees who had lost-worktime injuries. Our recollection is that the number of multiple diagnoses was very low among postal employees. This was especially true among those with back injuries, since most of the back injuries were related to lifting. Thus, we do not believe that our results were confounded by multiple diagnosis. , Craig Zwerling, MD, P ~ D MPH Institute of Agricultural Medicine and Occupational Health University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 James Ryan, MD, MPH East Boston Neighborhood Health Center Jamaica Plain, MA 02 130
REFERENCES Shaw WS (1991): Re: Non-back occupational injuries. Am J Ind Med 21903. Zwerling C., Ryan J (1991): Risk and severity of non-back occupational injuries after lumbar laminectomy for degenerative disc disease. Am J Ind Med 19531438.
Institute of Agricultural Medicine and Occupational Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Address reprint requests to Dr. Craig Zwerling, Institute of Agricultural Medicine and Occupational Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Oakdale Campus, Iowa City, IA 52242. Accepted November 11, 1991. 0 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Query on Non-Back Occupational Injuries Key words: occupational injuries, back problems
Since we no longer have access to the medical records of the postal employees we have studied, we cannot carry out the analysis that Dr. Shaw [1992] suggests. However, when we worked for the Postal Service, we examined most of the employees who had lost-worktime injuries. Our recollection is that the number of multiple diagnoses was very low among postal employees. This was especially true among those with back injuries, since most of the back injuries were related to lifting. Thus, we do not believe that our results were confounded by multiple diagnosis. , Craig Zwerling, MD, P ~ D MPH Institute of Agricultural Medicine and Occupational Health University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242 James Ryan, MD, MPH East Boston Neighborhood Health Center Jamaica Plain, MA 02 130
REFERENCES Shaw WS (1991): Re: Non-back occupational injuries. Am J Ind Med 21903. Zwerling C., Ryan J (1991): Risk and severity of non-back occupational injuries after lumbar laminectomy for degenerative disc disease. Am J Ind Med 19531438.
Institute of Agricultural Medicine and Occupational Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa. Address reprint requests to Dr. Craig Zwerling, Institute of Agricultural Medicine and Occupational Health, Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health, University of Iowa, Oakdale Campus, Iowa City, IA 52242. Accepted November 11, 1991. 0 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
