Abstracts Posters SICOT-SOF meeting Gothenburg 2010 _2_

Poster
Topic: Trauma - Hand/Wrist
Abstract number: 23385
EPIDEMIOLOGY OF HAND LACERATIONS IN A TERTIARY LEVEL HAND
INJURIES UNIT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM
santosh VENKATACHALAM, Patrick GILLESPIE, Fortune IWUWAGWU
St Andrews center for Hand injuries, Chelmsford (UNITED KINGDOM)
This retrospective audit was carried out at a tertiary level hand injuries unit in the
United Kingdom over one year on all acute hand lacerations. Details like patient
demographics, mechanism of injury, weapon causing injury, place, circumstances,
tetanus cover, time to presentation, digit involved, zone of injury, alcohol intake,
structures involved and initial treatment until patient exit were recorded. Most patients
are reviewed in the daily Specialist registrar led trauma clinic and recorded on a
computerised trauma database. There is a significant throughput of cases averaging
10-15/day. There were over 700 patients with hand lacerations. Around 80%
belonged to male population. 50% of these injuries happened at home and the rest
were work related. 16% were related to alcohol intake. There was no difference
between dominant and non dominant hands. Operative treatment was less than 24
hours in 89.3% of the cases. Tetanus cover was given at our center in 15% of the
patients inspite of being referred from other district general hospitals. 1573 structures
in 823 digits were involved. There were 993 tendon injuries of which 290 were on the
extensor aspect while remaining were on flexor side. Among the 568 nerve injuries,
400 involved digital nerves. We believe that improvement relies essentially on better
evaluation of patients whether they need a simple skill or specialist skill treatment.
Prompt identification and appropriate referral is needed for good outcomes. Our audit
also highlights the fact that there needs to be more awareness about tetanus cover of
patients.
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