@article{ref1,
title="Hand injuries during COVID-19: lessons from lockdown",
journal="Journal of plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgery",
year="2021",
author="Ho, Emma and Riordan, Edward and Nicklin, Sean",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="The two-month nationwide lockdown implemented in Australia in response to COVID-19 involved restrictions on social gatherings and non-essential services, resulting in  marked changes to the distribution of time spent at home and in the workplace. Given  the likelihood of future lockdowns, this study aimed to investigate whether the  lockdown was associated with an alteration in the pattern of acute hand injuries  admitted to Sydney Hospital Hand Unit relative to the same period in 2019, and  whether target areas for preventative strategies could be identified. During the  lockdown period in 2020, 332 acute presentations were noted, and in the same period  in 2019, 310 cases were noted. The mean patient age was higher in 2020, largely due  to a 327% increase in do-it-yourself (DIY) injuries. Workplace injuries increased in  2020 despite a 9.5% reduction in hours-worked, reflecting a redistribution of  workers into manual labour jobs with a higher risk for hand injuries. Patients who  suffered low-energy injuries at work were also significantly younger in 2020,  suggesting this effect was most pronounced in younger age-groups, probably due to  the shutdown of hospitality-based industries. Domestic violence-related injuries  increased in 2020, highlighting the need to maintain resources to provide support in  such cases at subspecialty hand units, which are often largely outpatient-centred. This study, therefore, identified a number of key areas that could be targeted in  the event of future lockdowns, including messages regarding safe DIY activities, and  more stringent requirements regarding worksite briefing and safety for people  commencing labour-based jobs, especially if transferring from another industry.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1748-6815",
doi="10.1016/j.bjps.2020.12.020",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2020.12.020"
}