Fodder Cutter Machine Injuries: An Unsafe Household Item In Rural Sindh In Pakistan

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the demographic features and patterns of fodder cutter machine injuries in rural areas of Hyderabad, Sindh.METHODOLOGY: This descriptive study was conducted in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology at Liaquat University of Medical Health Sciences Jamshoro from February 2018 to January 2019. Total 56 patients with fodder cutter machine injuries of either sex and any age presented were included in the study. Data collected and analyzed on SPSS version 21.RESULTS: In this study 56 patients affected by fodder cutter machine injury were received, out of these 38 (68%) were male and 18 (32%) were females. All patients sustained injuries to the upper limbs. The mean age was 24.54 +/- 12 years. Amputations of the distal phalanges were the commonest injuries noted in 11(13.5%) patients followed by palm and dorsum of the hand injuries (11.1%, n=9) and amputations at carpometacarpal joints (11.1%, n=9. Majority (86%, n=48) patients were injured while operating the machine at home and (14%, n=8) patients sustained injuries while laboring outside of home. Majority (75%, n=42) patients were injured by electric motor driven, while 14 (25%) were injured by manual machine. Time of injury was mostly in the morning (48%, n=27) followed by afternoon (41%, n=23) and evening (10.7%, n=6).CONCLUSION: Amputations of the right-hand distal phalanges were the most commonly reported injuries due to electric fodder cutter machines used at home in the morning time. Male adolescents were more prone to these injuries than others.