Effect of Hand-Arm Vibration on Retina of Road Drilling Machine Laborers Measured by Electroretinography

Author(s): Fatemeh Sarzaeim, Fatemeh Ojani, Tahere Sadat Hojati, Ahmad Shojaei, Seyed Mohammad Masoud Shushtarian

Aim: Hand-arm vibration is vibration transmitted from a work process into worker’s hands and arms. Road drilling machine laborers are exposed to heavy hand-arm vibration. Vibration may affect visual system. Retina is a part of visual system to be taken into consideration in this connection. The aim of present research is to look for possible effect of hand-arm vibration on human retina using electroretinography.

Method: Twelve male road drilling machine laborers (24 eyes) were selected for the purpose of present study. The age range of the laborers was between 25-35 years. They had normal visual acuity. The laborers were tested for electroretinography (ERG). Amplitude (µv) and latency (m sec) of ERG, b peak were recorded for all laborers and 12 age, sex and visual acuity matched control laborers not exposed to any vibration.

Result: The mean age was 30.67 ± 3.47 and 30.58±3.45 in the case and control groups respectively. The mean BCVA was 10/10 in both groups. The mean amplitude was 101.36 ± 14.29 and 109.76 ± 8.53 and in case of latency it was 43.52 ± 1.55 and 43.28 ± 1.4 in case and control groups respectively. The difference in case of amplitude of ERG, b wave was statistically significant ( p < 0.05 ) whereas the difference in case of ERG, b wave latency was not statistically significant ( p = 0.612 ).

Conclusion: Occupational hand-arm vibration in road drilling machine operators might have adverse effect on human retina which can be diagnosed by amplitude of ERG, b peak.