Emergency Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Emerg Med Australas. 2019 Jun;31(3):436-443. doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.13201. Epub 2018 Nov 8.
Injuries are a major burden on the Australian healthcare system. Power tool usage is a common cause of accidental injury. A better understanding of the trends of power tool injuries will inform prevention strategies and potentially mitigate costs.
The ED databases from two level 1 hospitals were reviewed for presentations between 2005 and 2015 resulting from accidental injury with power tools. A subgroup of patients presenting to one hospital between 2016 and 2017 were interviewed about the activities and circumstances that led to their injuries, and followed up 3 months later to assess outcomes.
A total of 4057 cases of accidental injury from power tool use were identified. Power saws and grinders contributed to 54% of injuries. Most injuries were located on an upper limb (48%) or the head and neck (30%). Over half (54%) of all head injuries were associated with metal and wood fragments to the eye from grinders, drills and saws. Hospital admission rates were highest for patients aged >60 years. Injuries to females were <5% of all presentations, but 40% of those caused by lawnmowers. Among the 200 patients interviewed, lapses in concentration during use, and modification and inappropriate use of a power tool were the main contributors to injury. Recovery periods >3 months were common.
Accidental injuries from power tool use have a considerable impact on ED resources and can affect the long-term quality of life of those injured. Effective education about safe usage and protection may prevent many injuries.
伤害是澳大利亚医疗保健系统的主要负担。动力工具的使用是意外伤害的常见原因。更好地了解动力工具伤害的趋势将为预防策略提供信息，并可能降低成本。
对两家一级医院的急诊数据库进行了审查，以了解 2005 年至 2015 年期间因意外使用动力工具而导致的就诊情况。对 2016 年至 2017 年期间在一家医院就诊的一组患者进行了访谈，了解导致他们受伤的活动和情况，并在 3 个月后进行随访以评估结果。
共确定了 4057 例因动力工具使用而导致的意外伤害病例。电锯和磨床造成的伤害占 54%。大多数伤害位于上肢（48%）或头部和颈部（30%）。超过一半（54%）的所有头部受伤都与来自磨床、钻头和锯的金属和木屑碎片有关。>60 岁患者的住院率最高。女性受伤人数<所有就诊人数的 5%，但 40%是由割草机造成的。在接受访谈的 200 名患者中，使用过程中注意力不集中、动力工具的修改和不当使用是导致受伤的主要原因。>3 个月的恢复期很常见。
动力工具使用造成的意外伤害对急诊资源有相当大的影响，并可能影响受伤者的长期生活质量。关于安全使用和保护的有效教育可能会预防许多伤害。
