Paediatric hand injuries at the Lagos University teaching hospital.

Background: Paediatric hand trauma represents a subset of hand injury that can be quite challenging to manage. Local studies on this injuries are few therefore a 4 year retrospective study at the Trauma and hand rehabilitation unit of the Lagos University teaching hospital was carried out.
Objectives: To determine the percentage of hand trauma occurring in the paediatric age group, the predominant age group involved, place of injury, the major injury types occurring as well as the most common surgical procedure required.
Methods: The case records of all cases that presented at the hand rehabilitation clinic or the emergency center of the Lagos University teaching hospital over a 4 year period were reviewed. Those below the age of 12 years were studied. Their biodata, type of injury, place of injury and other details were obtained.
Results: 634 patients were seen over the study period, 61 cases of hand injuries were in the paediatric age group. Hand trauma constituted less than a third of all paediatric hand cases. The commonest age group affected was 2-6 years. Most of the injuries occurred around the home. Burns injury, blunt trauma, glass and knife cuts were the commonest causes of hand trauma. Soft tissue reconstruction was commonest procedure done.
Conclusion: Infants and toddlers were the most vunerable groups while burns injury was the commonest cause of hand trauma seen at the Lagos university teaching hospital.