Citation

Hart RG. Ann. Emerg. Med. 2005; 45(6): 636-638.

Affiliation

Institute for Hand and Microsurgery, 225 Abraham Flexner, Suite 850, Louisville, KY 40202, rhart@cmki.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, American College of Emergency Physicians, Publisher Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.annemergmed.2004.12.010

PMID

15940098

Abstract

Hand injuries are an important and underrepresented problem that require a heightened focus on the part of the emergency physician. Although they are rarely, if ever, life threatening, they may lead to disabilities that threaten the patient's appearance and ability to earn a living. The article by Conn et. al. reports data on a very specific type of injury to the fingers and hands that we see all too frequentlyâ??amputations. Conn et. al. specifically address amputations in the nonâ??work-related population. Their results indicate that, of the 107 million ED visits that occurred in 2001, just under 3%, or 3 million, of these visits involved injury to the fingers. The largest percentage of these injuries (44%) were lacerations. For persons 15 years or older, an estimated 21,431 ED patients annually suffered amputations, which equates to about 0.75% of ED finger injuries each year. In addition, the authors identified 2 high-risk populations for sustaining finger and fingertip amputations: children younger than 4 years and men aged 45 to 65 years. The most common mechanisms of injury were doors in the younger population and power tools among the adults. This information can provide the foundation for efforts to prevent these injuries. An injury prevention program aimed toward preschool children and their parents is being developedÂ