Frequency upper limbs injuries in the emergency health service in Paranaiba, MS, Brazil

To assess the frequency of upper limb injuries in the only emergency medical service inParanaiba, State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Methods: Retrospective study with data collection from medical recordsof patients assisted with upper limb injuries in “Santa Casa de Misericordia” Hospital, the only hospital in the cityto provide emergency care, in 2008. Variables of interest such as gender and type of injury were collected basedon the International Code of Diseases (ICD 10). Results: There were 314 cases of upper limb injury in 2008and men were the most affected with 211 cases (67.2%). The wrist was the most affected segment with 64 cases(20.4%), followed by the shoulder with 55 cases (17.5%) and the hand with 50 cases (15.9%). Interventions andsurgeries involving bone portion were the most frequent - 225 (71.7%), followed by tendon - 19 (6.1%) and neural - 16 (5.1%); 35 patients (11.1%) underwent multiple operations. Osteosyntheses - 94 (29.9%), fractures- 48 (15.3%), and reduction - 46 (14.6%) were the most frequent interventions, followed by 26 dislocations(8.3%) and 14 tenorrhaphies (4.5%). Conclusion: The involvement of the upper limbs, especially bone lesions,is frequent. The segments most affected by injuries are men’s wrists and shoulders.