[Hand injuries caused by fireworks and treated by plastic surgeons]

To make an inventory of the number and nature of hand injuries caused by private firework use in the Netherlands during the New Year celebrations 2013-2014 and that were seen and treated by plastic surgeons.

Descriptive study.

In October 2013 the Netherlands Association of Plastic Surgeons (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Plastische Chirurgie) asked its members to register patients treated for hand injuries caused by fireworks during the New Year celebrations 2013-2014. The registration form was sent to all members by email. Patient data, the sort of firework, the nature of and treatment for the injury and the legality of the fireworks were registered. It was also important to note which hand was affected, whether it was the dominant hand and how many fingers were involved. Finger, thumb and hand amputations were also recorded.

A total of 76 patients were seen by a plastic surgeon for the treatment of hand injuries caused by fireworks. The patients were all male. In 50% of patients the injury was caused by setting off illegal fireworks. The largest group of victims were aged < 18 years. In 7 patients the hand was amputated to the level of the radiocarpal joint. A total of 232 fingers were injured by fireworks, leading to 63 total finger amputations, including 11 total thumb amputations. Many serious injuries occurred outside the legally permitted time period for setting off fireworks.

The number of victims with serious hand injuries caused by fireworks was high during the New Year celebrations 2013-2014 and had increased in comparison with the preceding year. The majority of victims were aged < 18 years and were injured while setting off illegal fireworks by themselves.