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The Examination of Occupational Injuries in the Emergency Department

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 8 - 12, 29.03.2025
https://doi.org/10.54996/anatolianjem.1510475

Abstract

Aim: While examining the demographic characteristics of injured individuals presenting to the emergency department due to occupational accidents, we also analyzed the types and mechanisms of injuries encountered based on the type of work causing the accident, assessed the adequacy of occupational safety measures, and investigated the patient burden on the emergency department caused by these cases. Emphasis was placed on the possibility of reducing the burden on the emergency department by completing the treatment of some occupational accident patients in occupational health clinics or primary care centers.

Material and Methods: We designed the study as a singlecenter, retrospective study. We included trauma cases who presented to the emergency department documented with occupational accident reports using the hospital automation system. Trauma patients aged 18 and above, presenting to the emergency department of a tertiary care and research hospital, were examined between January 1-2022, and December 31-2023. The study population was formed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results: Within the study, 887 patients were examined, of whom 80.8% were male. The mean age of the patients was 34 years. Penetrating-shearing instrument injury (35.4%) and blunt trauma (35.4%) were the most common injury mechanisms, with lacerations (34.6%) being the most common lesions. The upper extremities (41.3%) were the most commonly affected body regions. Furthermore, 74.7% of patients were found to belong to the group of cases treatable with simple medical interventions.

Conclusion: Based on our findings, we suggest that some of the existing diagnoses and medical interventions can be managed in occupational health clinics or primary care centers.Acting accordingly can alleviate the workload of emergency departments.

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Sciences University, Trabzon School of Medicine Non-Interventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee before the study (Decision No. 2024/88.).

Supporting Institution

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

References

  • Ng ZX, Teo LT, Go KT, Yeo YT, Chiu MT. Major workplace related accidents in Singapore: a major trauma centre’s experience. Ann. Acad. Med. Singapore 2010; 39: 920– 7.
  • Chau N. 2011. Injury proneness. In: Cooper CL, Burke RJ, Clarke S, editors. Occupational health and safety. England: Gower Publishing Ltd, pp. 119–136.
  • Waehrer G, Leigh JP, Cassady D, Miller TR. Costs of occupational injury and illness across states. J Occup Environ Med. 2004 Oct;46(10):1084-95. doi: 10.1097/01.jom.0000141659.17062.4b.
  • Takala J. Introductory report: decent work–safe work. Paper presented at: XVIth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work; May 2002; Vienna, Austria. International Labour Office. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232158056_Introductory_Report_Decent_Work_-_Safe_Work.
  • International Labour Office. Global Trends on Occupational Accidents and Diseases. Available at: https://webapps.ilo.org/static/english/osh/en/story_content/external_files/fs_st_1-ILO_5_en.pdf. Accessed 25 May 2024.
  • Social Security Institution. Annual Health Statistics. https://www.sgk.gov.tr/Istatistik/Yillik/fcd5e59b-6af9-4d90-a451-ee7500eb1cb4/ Accessed May 25, 2024.
  • Shire JD, Marsh GM, Talbott EO, Sharma RK. Advances and current themes in occupational health and environmental public health surveillance. Annu Rev Public Health. 2011;32:109-132. https://doi. org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-082310-152811
  • El-Menyar A, Mekkodathi A, Al-Thani H. Occupational injuries: global and local perspectives. Nepal J Epidemiol. 2016;6(2):560.
  • Ozkan S, Kiliç S, Durukan P, Akdur O, Vardar A, Geyik S, Ikizceli I. Occupational injuries admitted to the Emergency Department. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2010 May;16(3):241-7.
  • Fubini L, Pasqualini O, Ferro E, et al. Injury narratives in occupational safety and health prevention in Italy. Occup Med (Lond). 2019 Dec 7;69(7):500-503. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqz135.
  • Guzel S, Balci Y, Cetin G. Forensic Medical Evaluation of Assault Offenses Defined in the Turkish Penal Code. Available at: https://www.atk.gov.tr/tckyaralama24-11-15.pdf. Accessed May 25, 2024.
  • Dağlı B and Serinken M. Occupational injuries admitted to the emergency department. Eurasian Journal of Emergency Medicine (2012).
  • Tadros A, Sharon M, Chill N, Dragan S, Rowell J, Hoffman S. Emergency department visits for work-related injuries. Am J Emerg Med. 2018 Aug;36(8):1455-1458. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.04.058.
  • Bhandari R, Marsh SM, Reichard AA, Tonozzi TR. Characterizing emergency department patients who reported work-related injuries and illnesses. Am J Ind Med. 2016 Aug;59(8):610-20. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22607.
  • Hösükler E, Turan T, Erkol ZZ. Analysis of injuries and deaths by trauma scores due to occupational accidents. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2022 Sep;28(9):1258-1269. doi: 10.14744/tjtes.2022.22796.

Acil Servise Başvuran Mesleki Yaralanmaların İncelenmesi

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 1, 8 - 12, 29.03.2025
https://doi.org/10.54996/anatolianjem.1510475

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmamız, iş kazaları nedeniyle acil servise başvuran hastaların demografik özelliklerini ve istihdamın türüyle ilişkili yaralanma türlerini ve mekanizmalarını inceledi. Ayrıca, iş güvenliği önlemlerinin etkinliğini ve bu yaralanmaların acil servis yükü üzerindeki etkisini değerlendirdik. Çalışma, belirli iş kazası vakalarının tedavisinin iş yeri veya aile hekimliği merkezlerinde tamamlanarak acil servisin yükünün hafifletilebileceğini önermektedir.

Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu çalışma tek merkezli, retrospektif bir çalışma olarak planladı. Çalışmaya acil servise başvuran, iş kazası tutanağı tutulmuş travma vakaları dahil edildi. 1 Ocak 2022- 31 Aralık 2023 tarihleri arasında üçüncü basamak bir eğitim ve araştırma hastanesinin acil servisine başvuran 18 yaş üstü iş kazasına bağlı travma hastaları hastane otomasyon sistemi kullanılarak incelendi. Çalışma popülasyonu dâhil etme ve hariç tutma kriterlerine göre oluşturuldu.

Bulgular: Çalışma dâhilinde %80,8’i erkek 887 hasta incelenmiştir. Hastaların yaş ortalaması 34’tür. Penetrasyon-kesici alet yaralanması (%35,4) ve künt travma (%35,4) en sık yaralanma mekanizmalarıdır ve kesiler (%34.6) en sık lezyonlardır. Üst ekstremiteler (%41,3) en çok zarar gören vücut bölgeleridir. %74,7 hastanın ise basit tıbbi müdahale ile tedavi edilebilir hasta gurubunda olduğu tespit edilmiştir.

Sonuç: Verilerimiz doğrultusunda var olan tanı ve tıbbımüdahalelerin bir kısmının iş yeri hekimliği veya aile hekimliği merkezlerinde yapılabileceği tespit edilmiştir, bu doğrultuda hareket etmek acil servislerin iş yükünü azaltabilir.

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Sciences University, Trabzon School of Medicine NonInterventional Clinical Research Ethics Committee before the study (Decision No. 2024/88.).

Supporting Institution

Destekleyen kurum yoktur.

References

  • Ng ZX, Teo LT, Go KT, Yeo YT, Chiu MT. Major workplace related accidents in Singapore: a major trauma centre’s experience. Ann. Acad. Med. Singapore 2010; 39: 920– 7.
  • Chau N. 2011. Injury proneness. In: Cooper CL, Burke RJ, Clarke S, editors. Occupational health and safety. England: Gower Publishing Ltd, pp. 119–136.
  • Waehrer G, Leigh JP, Cassady D, Miller TR. Costs of occupational injury and illness across states. J Occup Environ Med. 2004 Oct;46(10):1084-95. doi: 10.1097/01.jom.0000141659.17062.4b.
  • Takala J. Introductory report: decent work–safe work. Paper presented at: XVIth World Congress on Safety and Health at Work; May 2002; Vienna, Austria. International Labour Office. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232158056_Introductory_Report_Decent_Work_-_Safe_Work.
  • International Labour Office. Global Trends on Occupational Accidents and Diseases. Available at: https://webapps.ilo.org/static/english/osh/en/story_content/external_files/fs_st_1-ILO_5_en.pdf. Accessed 25 May 2024.
  • Social Security Institution. Annual Health Statistics. https://www.sgk.gov.tr/Istatistik/Yillik/fcd5e59b-6af9-4d90-a451-ee7500eb1cb4/ Accessed May 25, 2024.
  • Shire JD, Marsh GM, Talbott EO, Sharma RK. Advances and current themes in occupational health and environmental public health surveillance. Annu Rev Public Health. 2011;32:109-132. https://doi. org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-082310-152811
  • El-Menyar A, Mekkodathi A, Al-Thani H. Occupational injuries: global and local perspectives. Nepal J Epidemiol. 2016;6(2):560.
  • Ozkan S, Kiliç S, Durukan P, Akdur O, Vardar A, Geyik S, Ikizceli I. Occupational injuries admitted to the Emergency Department. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2010 May;16(3):241-7.
  • Fubini L, Pasqualini O, Ferro E, et al. Injury narratives in occupational safety and health prevention in Italy. Occup Med (Lond). 2019 Dec 7;69(7):500-503. doi: 10.1093/occmed/kqz135.
  • Guzel S, Balci Y, Cetin G. Forensic Medical Evaluation of Assault Offenses Defined in the Turkish Penal Code. Available at: https://www.atk.gov.tr/tckyaralama24-11-15.pdf. Accessed May 25, 2024.
  • Dağlı B and Serinken M. Occupational injuries admitted to the emergency department. Eurasian Journal of Emergency Medicine (2012).
  • Tadros A, Sharon M, Chill N, Dragan S, Rowell J, Hoffman S. Emergency department visits for work-related injuries. Am J Emerg Med. 2018 Aug;36(8):1455-1458. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.04.058.
  • Bhandari R, Marsh SM, Reichard AA, Tonozzi TR. Characterizing emergency department patients who reported work-related injuries and illnesses. Am J Ind Med. 2016 Aug;59(8):610-20. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22607.
  • Hösükler E, Turan T, Erkol ZZ. Analysis of injuries and deaths by trauma scores due to occupational accidents. Ulus Travma Acil Cerrahi Derg. 2022 Sep;28(9):1258-1269. doi: 10.14744/tjtes.2022.22796.
There are 15 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Emergency Medicine
Journal Section Original Articles
Authors

Ercan Nalbant 0000-0002-5470-4519

Burak Davran 0009-0007-0476-0057

Early Pub Date March 29, 2025
Publication Date March 29, 2025
Submission Date July 4, 2024
Acceptance Date December 16, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 8 Issue: 1

Cite

AMA Nalbant E, Davran B. The Examination of Occupational Injuries in the Emergency Department. Anatolian J Emerg Med. March 2025;8(1):8-12. doi:10.54996/anatolianjem.1510475