An emerging etiological factor for hand injuries in the pediatric population: public exercise equipment.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the role of public exercise equipment in pediatric hand traumas as a preventable etiological factor. METHODS: Pediatric patients with hand injuries referred from the emergency department were evaluated retrospectively. Age and gender of the patients, timing, etiology, mechanism of hand trauma, localization of the injury, diagnoses of the patients, and hospitalization rates were reviewed. RESULTS: Amongst the 310 pediatric patients evaluated, 31 patients (10%) experienced injury related to public exercise equipment. Within this group of patients, most were between 5 to 9 years of age, and all injuries were blunt and crush type. Lacerations and fractures were the main diagnoses. Complex injuries that required inpatient care were reported in 19.3% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Public exercise equipment-related injuries are increasingly prevalent in pediatric hand traumas. Preventive actions such as shielding the moving parts should be taken to reduce these rates.