Introduction:

Hand injuries constitute 6.6% to 28.6% of all injuries in the musculoskeletal system. Little information has been reported on the non-laboring, non-insured population with no social security. We describe the epidemiology of hand and wrist injuries treated over a year in the emergency department of a reference hospital in Mexico City that treats patients with no social security.

Objective:

To describe the epidemiology of hand and wrist injuries treated in the ED of a high specialty reference medical facility over a year.

Material and methods:

Medical records for patients treated for hand and wrist injuries in the emergency department in 2015 were reviewed. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed.

Results:

Hand and wrist injuries constituted 8.9% of all emergencies treated in the emergency department of INR-LGII during 2015. Young, male patients, between 21 and 30 years of age were the most commonly affected age group. Students and housewives constituted almost half the population treated for hand and wrist injuries. The most common injuries were fractures, contusions and sprains.

Conclusion:

Hand and wrist injuries are common. There is currently not enough epidemiological data on non-laboring hand injuries in Mexico or the world. Hand and wrist injuries need to receive specialized treatment to avoid complications and permanent disability.