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Isolated finger injuries in children--incidence and aetiology
1Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, Scotland, G3 8SJ, UK. nanjappachetty.doraiswamy@yorkhill.scot.nhs.uk
Insights
Most pediatric finger injuries occur at home in young children due to jamming or crushing, often at door hinges. Education on safety measures can prevent or reduce these common childhood injuries.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Traumatology
- Public Health
Background:
- Isolated finger injuries are common in children presenting to emergency departments.
- Understanding the incidence and causes of these injuries is crucial for prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence and aetiology of isolated finger injuries in children.
- To identify high-risk age groups, locations, and mechanisms of injury.
Main Methods:
- Prospective data collection using a specifically designed questionnaire.
- Inclusion of all children presenting to the Accident and Emergency Department with isolated finger injuries over a 6-month period.
- Analysis of 426 injuries in 283 children.
Main Results:
- The majority of injuries (59%) occurred at home, predominantly in children under 5 years old (38%).
- The middle finger (25%) and terminal phalanges (47%) were most frequently affected.
- "Jamming/crushing" (48%) was the leading cause, often involving door hinges (49%) and perpetrated by children (59%).
- Nail injuries were prevalent (48%), with 16 cases of terminal phalangeal amputations.
Conclusions:
- Home environments, particularly doors, pose significant risks for pediatric finger injuries.
- Targeted safety education for children and adults is essential for injury prevention and reduction.
Abstract:
Details were recorded prospectively in a specifically designed questionnaire for all children presenting to the Accident and Emergency Department with isolated finger injuries over a period of 6 months, in order to understand the incidence and aetiology. Among the 426 injuries in 283 children, most occurred at home (59%) more in the <5 year age group (38%), involving the middle finger (25%) and terminal phalanges (47%). "Jamming/crushing" was the commonest reason (48%), mostly caused by a child (59%) at the living room door (32%) and more commonly at the hinge side (49%). Nail injuries were seen in 48% of cases and 16 amputations of terminal phalanges were noticed in 15 children. Tendon injuries were only caused when cut by sharp objects, and were not caused by jamming/crushing. Both children and adults should be educated about causation, reiterating that damage to fingers can be prevented or reduced by observing safety measures.