Epidemiology and Sequelae of Workplace Hand Injuries at a Tertiary Trauma Care Centre

Abstract

Aims & Objectives: To study the epidemiology of workplace hand injuries, to understand relation between mode of injury and prognosis, to investigate into the possible contributing factors and to study the Socio-economic impact. Design of Study: For the prospective study there were 2 sources of data: 1) Proforma which was filled by the hand surgeon and 2) A questionnaire that was filled up by safety officer. For the retrospective study case, sheets were retrieved from the Medical Records section and a telephonic or personal interview was carried out by a single interviewer. Setting: Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Parvathy Hospital, Chennai, India. Patients: A total of 419 industrial injury patients treated from January 2008 to January 2013 were included in the study. Further follow-up regarding return to work and residual disability continues. Main Outcome Measures: Personal details (Age, Gender, Handedness, Work experience, Income). Type of injury, mode of injury, day and time of injury, treatment given, disability and number of working days lost were measured. Results: Those workers who were experienced less than 6 months had more workplace injuries and the commonest contributing factor was co-workers carelessness followed by long working hours and faulty machinery. Maximum injuries occurred on Monday and morning shift. Conclusions: Constant supervision of trainees for 2 years, shorter working hours with regular breaks, regular health checkups for personnel, regular servicing of machines can prevent occurrence of hand injuries. Corrective surgery within 6 hours, systematic and protocol based physiotherapy and rehabilitation can reduce the economic loss and disability arising out of work place injuries.