Analysis of pediatric hand injuries in a tertiary care children’s hospital

Abstract

Pediatric hand traumas are common injuries in childhood. The incidence and type of injury vary with age. In our country, there are only two publications in which only crush is examined in etiology. In this study, we aimed to develop a strategy to prevent hand injuries by examining pediatric hand injuries according to the child’s developmental stage and anatomical region. The data of 493 (315 boys, 178 girls) patients under the age of 18 between 2016 and 2020 were analyzed. Patients were categorized according to etiology and age. Males are more dominant in pediatric hand injuries (63.9%). The most common cause of hand injuries under the age of 4 years is scald burns. While distal phalanx fractures (79.7%) are more common under 7 years of age, little finger fractures (44.7%) are more common than other finger fractures over 7 years of age. The reason for the increase in fifth metacarpal (neck) fractures between the ages of 12 and 17 years is fighting and punching. Door/window jamming injuries (60.7%) are more common under the age of 7 years, while there is an increase in sports injuries (94.7%) over the age of 7 years. The findings of this study provided age-specific information about the anatomical site, objects, activities, mechanisms, diagnosis, and treatment associated with hand and finger injuries. While developing a strategy to prevent childhood hand and finger injuries in Turkey, it is necessary to focus on age.