Selim TURFAN, Faruk ÖZŞAHİN, Gökhan UZUN, Arslan BORA, Mustafa Tolga GÜRGEN, Tuğrul KESİCİOĞLU

Agricultural injuries encountered in Giresun, which is an agricultural city of Turkey

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the demographic and clinical features of gardening injuries in an agricultural city and to provide some suggestions to reduce the incidence of agricultural injuries. Methods: This study assessed 419 gardening injuries that were admitted to the emergency department of Giresun University Prof. Dr. Ilhan Özdemir Training and Research Hospital between June 30, 2015 and November 1, 2015. We retrospectively examined all the documents, x-rays, tomographies, and tomography reports related to the cases. Results: Falls from a height (19.3%), falls (31.5%), foreign body crashes (FBCs) (14.8%), sharp-penetrating object injuries (SPOIs) (29.8%), and motorized/motorless device injuries (MMDIs) (4.5%) were the major categories of gardening injuries. Most of the falls from a height were from a tree (86%), primarily fig trees (54.3%). SPOIs primarily affected the hand-wrist area with 82 cases (65.6%); the most common sharp tools that caused injury were sickle-scythes (47.2%) and axes (35.2%). FBCs frequently affected the eyes (48.4%) and head region (17.7%), and tree branches were the most common foreign bodies causing such crashes (38.7%). MMDIs were caused primarily by haymaker harvester machines (42%). Three cases died (0.7%), and 305 cases (72.8%) were discharged after emergency treatment. Additionally, 115 cases (27.5%) were hospitalized, 11 cases underwent urgent surgery, and 63 cases underwent elective surgery. Using uncuttable gloves, socks, and knee-guards could prevent 88% of SPOIs. Furthermore, eyewear and head guards could prevent 60.1% of FBC injuries.The usage of fall arrest equipment particularly for only fig and pear tree types could prevent 68.6% of the falls from a tree. Conclusions: Gardening injuries are significant traumas in agricultural regions. By implementing simple and cheap security measures, we can prevent destrucitive traumas.

Keywords:

injury agricultural injury, gardening injury, farm injury, backyard injury, trauma, work-related injury,

PDF

___

1. Missikpode C, Peek-Asa C, Young T, Swanton A, Leinenkugel K, Torner J. Trends in non-fatal agricultural injuries requiring trauma care. Inj Epidemiol 2015;2:30.
2. Das B. Agricultural work related injuries among the farmers of West Bengal, India. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot 2014;21:205-15.
3. Allen DL, Kearney GD, Higgins S. A descriptive study of farm-related injuries presenting to emergency departments in North Carolina: 2008-2012. J Agromedicine 2015;20:398-408.
4. Pfortmueller CA, Kradolfer D, Kunz M, Lehmann B, Lindner G, Exadaktylos AK. Injuries in agriculture – injury severity and mortality. Swiss Med Wkly 2013;143:w13846.
5. Browning SR, Truszczynska H, Reed D, McKnight RH. Agricultural injuries among older Kentucky farmers: The Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Study. Am J Ind Med 1998;33:341-53.
6. Zhou C, Roseman JM. Agricultural injuries among a population-based sample of farm operators in Alabama. Am J Ind Med 1994;25:385-402.
7. Tiwari PS, Gite LP, Dubey AK, Kot LS. Agricultural injuries in Central India: nature, magnitude, and economic impact. J Agric Saf Health 2002;8:95-111.
8. Patel T, Pranav PK, Biswas M. Nonfatal agricultural work-related injuries: a case study from Northeast India. Work 2018;59:367-74.
9. Negin J, Vizintin P, Housaia P, Martiniuk ALC. Barking up the wrong tree:injuries due to falls from tree in Solomon Islands. Med J Aust 2014;201:698-700.
10. Karbeyaz K, Şenlik M, Yetiş Y, Güneş A, Yılmaz A. [Evaluation of deaths caused by falling from trees in the elderly]. Osmangazi J Med 2018;40:34-9. [Article in Turkish]
11. Rehan R, Jones P, Abdeen H, et al. The dangers to children from coconut tree trauma, in KiraKira, Solomon Islands: a retrospective clinical audit. Arch Public Health 2016;74:14.
12. Barss P, Dakulala P, Doolan M. Falls from trees and tree associated injuries in rural Melanesians. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1984;289:1717-20.
13. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eye injuries to agricultural workers--Minnesota, 1992-1993. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1995;44:364-6.
14. Chatterjee S, Agrawal D. Primary prevention of ocular injury in agricultural workers with safety eyewear. Indian J Ophthalmol 2017;65:859-64.
15. Welch LS, Hunting KL, Mawudeku A. Injury surveillance in construction: eye injuries. Appl Occup Environ Hyg 2001;16:755-62.
16. Yu TS, Liu H, Hui K. A case-control study of eye injuries in the workplace in Hong Kong. Ophthalmology 2004;111:70-4.
17. Lee K, Lim HS. Work-related injuries and diseases of farmers in Korea. Ind Health 2008;46:424-34.
18. Rautiainen RH, Reynolds SJ. Mortality and morbidity in agriculture in the United States. J Agric Saf Health 2002;8:259-76.