Epidemiology of work-related hand and wrist injuries in a referral center: A descriptive study

Table 1 General characteristics of the patients with occupational hand and wrist injuries, n (%)/median (25^th and 75^th percentiles)

Variables	Number (n = 423)
Age (years)	31 (25-39)
Sex
Male	397 (93.9)
Female	26 (6.1)
Type of job
Mining	321 (75.9)
Personal service1     personal	57 (13.5)
Manufacturing industries	17 (4.0)
Agriculture, livestock, and hunting	15 (3.5)
Other2	13 (3.1)
Employment Injury Insurance	409 (96.7)
Time of day
Day (7:00 to 18:59)	361 (85.3)
Night (19:00 to 6:59)	62 (14.7)
Day of the week
Monday	59 (13.9)
Tuesday	73 (17.3)
Wednesday	90 (21.3)
Thursday	80 (18.9)
Friday	69 (16.3)
Saturday	44 (10.4)
Sunday	8 (1.9)

¹Personal service: Hairdressing, manicure, pedicure, massaging, and other similar jobs.

²Other: Other economic activities, including wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, accommodation and food services, financial and insurance activities, professional scientific and technical activities, construction, transportation, and warehousing.

Table 2 Clinical characteristics of the patients with occupational hand and wrist injuries, n (%)/median (25^th and 75^th percentiles)

Clinical variables	Number (n = 423)
Sick leave (days)	5 (3-8)
History of OHWI	39 (9.2)
Laterality of injury
Right	234 (55.3)
Left	186 (44.0)
Bilateral	3 (0.7)
Type of injury Anatomical features
Contusion	178 (42.1)
Laceration	118 (27.9)
Fracture	79 (18.7)
Crush	66 (15.6)
Dislocation/Luxation	9 (2.1)
Amputation	5 (1.2)
Burn	5 (1.2)
Puncture	5 (1.2)
Fracture and other injury(s)	43 (10.1)
Anatomical features
Skin/Connective tissue injuries	306/315 (97.1)
Bone	313/423 (74.0)
Nerve injury1	5/100 (5.0)
Tendon injury1	3/133 (2.3)
Vascular injury1	5/235 (2.1)
Joint injury	9/208 (4.3)
Two or more	233/423 (55.1)
Injured anatomical region
Phalanges1	315/331 (95.2)
Metacarpus1	14/331 (4.2)
Carpus1	2/331 (0.6)
Injured finger
First1	81/315 (25.7)
Second1	60/315 (14.2)
Third1	52/315 (12.3)
Fourth1	39/315 (9.2)
Fifth1	45/315 (10.6)
Multiple1	38/315 (9.0)
Procedures in the ED (diagnosis, interventions)
X-ray	379 (89.6)
Suture	111 (26.2)
Closed reduction/Immobilization	89 (21.0)
Orthopedic consultation	74 (17.5)
Surgery	25 (5.9)
Plastic surgery consultation	20 (4.7)
Referral to a higher-level ED	3 (0.7)

¹The denominator used to calculate proportions differed for each variable as data were not available or not applicable.

ED: Emergency department; OHWI: Occupational hand or wrist injury.