Queenslanders are being urged to slow down and stay safe in the lead-up to Christmas after a spike in traumatic injuries caused by power tools, knives and broken glasses.
Mater trauma hand surgeon Dr Andrew Hadj said he had seen a 50 per cent spike in patients in recent weeks – and expects the surge to continue through the holiday season.
“We are seeing a spike in both industrial and domestic incidents, often involving severed or crushed hands and fingers,” said Dr Hadj, of the Plastic Surgery Queensland (PSQ) group at South Brisbane’s Mater Private Clinic.
“Most patients tell me they were in a rush, hurrying or running late when they sustained an injury, and weren’t paying attention.
“These are factors that really come to the fore during the run-up to Christmas, as so many people are trying to finish lots of tasks and are not always fully concentrating.
“People need to slow down and take their time, especially when items like knives and power tools are involved.
“Please don’t give yourself a hand injury for Christmas.”
Causes of top 5 hand injuries
- Nail guns
- Animal bites
- Angle grinders
- Sharp knives
- Glass
Dr Hadj said his patients often require extensive and complex reconstructive surgery, as well as one to two years of rehabilitation.
“Despite the significant advances in reconstructive repair, these patients will always have a degree of major impairment, so prevention is the best remedy,” he said.
Dr Hadj said he had noted an increase in injuries from industrial-grade food processing equipment and other traumatic workplace injuries.
“From a workplace perspective, there are often tight timelines and requirements to finish jobs by Christmas or before the New Year,” he said.
Mother-of-three Melissa Stent almost severed multiple fingers on her right hand when she was cleaning an industrial fan at her workplace.
Mrs Stent, 49, who works in a food processing factory said the accident happened in a “split second”.
“The fan didn’t have a cover on it, it was still on and I thought I was standing to the side of it to clean it, but I put my hand straight in from the front,” said Mrs Stent, of Flagstone in Logan.
She described the injury she sustained on November 26 as “pretty bad”.
“I partially amputated my thumb – I cut through it, and my index fingers as well. I had five lacerations to my hand,” she said.
Mrs Stent was operated on by Dr Hadj at Mater Private Hospital Brisbane and said he saved her fingers.
“I thought I might lose part of my thumb or finger, but Dr Hadj did a great job. I have a laceration above my knuckle, and my index and thumb is still quite bruised, but I am recovering well.”
Dr Hadj said there was plenty of activity in home kitchens leading up to Christmas, with stress and time constraints contributing to a significant volume of glass and knife injuries related to meal preparation.
“Knives and broken glass can be very unforgiving to the human hand, so please take care in the kitchen and throughout the home,” he said.
Other dangers to be wary of include animal bites and injuries relating to power tools.
“There has been a noticeable rise in animal bites across Brisbane,” Dr Hadj said.
“Dogs and cats have contaminated oral flora and can grow particular bacteria that, if left untreated, can result in long-term antibiotics and several days in hospital.
“And over the past few weeks I have definitely seen more angle grinder and nail gun injuries.
“Angle grinders are often brutal as they tend to cause tissue damage and severe injury to the surrounding tissues.
“This can lead to the devasting loss of hand function.
“It is important to clean the wound as glue and other copper barbs aren’t left within the tissue, even after the nail has been removed.”
Pictured: Mater trauma hand surgeon Dr Andrew Hadj.
Pictured below: X-ray of hand injury.
