Occupational traumatic injuries rarely affect genitourinary organs: a retrospective, comparative study

To determine the mechanisms of injury associated with occupational injuries (OI) to genitourinary (GU) organs and compare GU OIs with GU non-OIs.

A single institution, retrospective study was conducted at a level 1 trauma center between 2010 and 2016 of all patients with GU injuries. OI was defined as any traumatic event that occurred in the workplace requiring hospital admission. Types of occupations were recorded in addition to the location of injury, mechanisms of injury, concomitant injuries, operative interventions, total cost, and mortality. GU OI patients were then compared to GU non-OI patients.

623 patients suffered a GU injury, of which 39 (6.3%) had a GU OI. Fall (43%) was the most common mechanism of injury; followed by motor vehicle collision/motorcycle crash (31%), crush injury (18%), and pedestrian struck (8%). The adrenal gland (38%) and kidney (38%) were the most commonly injured organs. There was no difference in mortality (13% GU OI vs. 15% GU non-OI, p = 0.70) or total direct cost ($21,192 ± 28,543 GU OI vs. $28,215 ± 32,332 GU non-OI, p = 0.45). Total costs were decreased with mortality from a GU injury (odds ratio (OR) 0.3, CI 0.26-0.59; p = < 0.001) and increased with higher injury severity scores (OR 1.1, CI 1.09-1.2; p = < 0.0001). Total costs were not affected by OI status.

Occupational GU trauma presents with similar patterns of injury, hospital course, and direct cost as GU trauma that occurs in non-occupational settings.