Artikel
Hand injuries of coal miners in southern west virginia with a focus on injury locations and distance analysis to treatment facilities
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Autoren
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Ravi Viradia
- West Virginia University-Charleston, Charleston, United States
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Frank Annie
- West Virginia University-Charleston, Charleston, United States
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John David Hayes
- CAMC, Charleston, United States
| Veröffentlicht: | 6. Februar 2020 |
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Gliederung
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Objectives/Interrogation: The implementations of coal mining safety policies have helped to decrease the injury rate and fatalities in miners significantly. However, hand injuries remain commonly observed in coal miners. Therefore, this study aims to review ten years of data and describe the incidence rate, prevalence and patterns of hand injuries in coal miners, as well as investigate the specific areas in WV where coal miners have been injured.
Methods: We evaluated patient demographics, coal mining locations, and patient outcomes. This study is a retrospective review of coal mine workers with coal mining hand injuries included in our level-1 trauma database from a study period of January 1, 2005, through March 31, 2015. Data was collected in an Excel-Spreadsheet.Stata-11.2 which was used to conduct a multinomial logistic regression. A hub analysis was performed to understand the overall distance associated with injury site and care using quantum geographic information systems.
Results and Conclusions: Variables collected are as follows:
- The sample size was 104 coal miners.
- Age of the miners ranged from 19-62. Coal mines are registered on our map with relevance to injury based on location; severity scale is presented in our graphic diagram.
- Most common injuries were fractures at 42.3%-47/104 followed by amputations 26.9%-28/104.
- The index finger had an overall higher rate of injury at 28.8%-30/104.
To understand the overall impact of specific injuries of coal miners based on the location, we looked at the number of injuries sustained at particular sites over the 10-year period.
- Within this, the average distance per injury to a medical center that was able to assist with hand injuries was 46.1 Miles.
- The shortest distance was within one mile of the center; the most prolonged distance was 83.3 miles.
- To our level-1 center the average time for a patient to be transported to or from injury was one hour.
We found that particular coal mines seem prone to more coal mining hand injuries. This analysis will better clarify which coal mines in Southern WV have been able to promote safety awareness and which continue to harbor a dangerous environment.
