The Burden of Hand Injuries at a Tertiary Hospital in Sub-Saharan Africa
Table 1
Showing study participant characteristics.
Characteristic
Frequency
Percentage
Gender
Male
115
83
Female
23
17
Education
Primary
56
40
Secondary
46
33
Tertiary
21
27
Handedness
Right handed
131
95
Left handed
7
5
Occupation
Formal
44
32
Nonformal
94
68
Distance from hospital
<5 km
67
49
5–10 km
49
36
>10 km
22
15
Place of injury
Work
50
36
Home
40
29
Road (traffic injuries)
34
25
Farm/garden
4
3
Sports
1
0.5
Others
9
6.5
Types of injuries
Lacerations
39
32
Crush
29
25
Fractures
18
16
Tendon injuries
8
7
Others
44
20
Operative treatment
Surgical toilet & suture
50
36
Debridement
50
36
Splintage
25
18
Tendon repair
8
6
Time of surgery (after arrival)
Less than 6 hours
94
68
6–12 hours
27
20
12–24 hours
6
5
Above 24
3
2
Missing
6
5
The 9 patients that had not healed after 4 weeks had presented >12 hours after injury. None of the healed ones had presented ≥12 hours after injury. Others included a mix of injuries from say bites, abrasions, confusions, and bruising.
