Clinical and functional characteristics of disabled people due to diseases of the peripheral nervous system at working age

The dominant position among the reasons of working-age population’s health deterioration belongs to diseases of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), the peak prevalence of which occurs at the age of 35–40. PNS diseases are diagnosed in about 76.0% of industrial workers, and account for more than half of all occupational diseases. They are the main cause of incapacitation and long-term disability. Publications on disability due to PNS diseases are isolated.

The aim of the work. Clinical and functional characteristics of PNS disorders that cause disability in the working-age population.

Material and methods. Among 91 496 first recognized as disabled in the Republic of Bashkortostan in 2014–2018, all disabled people of working age were selected due to PNS diseases, in which the main independent diagnosis was radiculopathy, polyneuropathy, neuropathy and vibratory disease with indication to lumbar-sacral radiculopathy with polyneuropathy of the upper extremities. 107 people were identified to constitute a closed cohort for a comprehensive study of the clinical-functional state and patterns of disability formation in them. The clinical-functional characteristic is given on the basis of the results of studies set forth in the directional medical documents and the assessment by an expert neurologist of the Main Bureau of Medical and Social Expertise. Statistical analysis was performed in Microsoft Excel.

Results. The prevalence of PNS diseases has been found to be increasing. Three of the newly diagnosed neurological patients have been the carriers of PNS disease. PNS diseases are formed and reach peak in working age. Characterized by a chronic, progressive course, they often cause temporary and persistent disability. On average, there are 0.1 ± 0.028 persons with disabilities per 10 thousand of the able-bodied population due to PNS diseases, the level of which in dynamics for 2014–2018 increased by 1.7 times. Persons with disabilities (69.0%) are mainly represented by men, every second (50.6%) is over 50 years old, with an average age of 48.7 ± 5.7 years. The clinical-functional state is characterized by constant pain, numbness, seizures, restriction of movements in the limbs, sensory disorders, vegetative-vascular disorders.

Conclusion. The quantitative evaluation of the main types of the body functions and main categories of vital activity persistent disorders made it possible to detect that 69.3 ± 4.4% persons with disabilities have persistent moderate abnormalities of functions in the range 40–60% (II degree), another 24.4 ± 3.8 — persistent pronounced abnormalities in the range 70–80% (III degree) and 6.3 ± 6.0% — persistent significant abnormalities in the range 90–100% (IV degree). The severity of impaired functioning of the body is the basis for the level of persistent disability determination.

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