Unintentional cutting and piercing injury in the home

This issue of Hazard covers unintentional cutting and piercing injuries that occur in the home, the location of a large proportion of hospital-treated cutting and piercing cases. In the next issue we will include a brief report on intentional, assaultive cutting and piercing injury in all settings. Analysis of recent VEMD data reveals that 53% of unintentional cutting and piercing injuries presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs) occur in the home, as do 28% of total admitted injury cases for cutting and piercing injury. Annually, at least 10,580 hospital-treated unintentional cutting and piercing injuries occur in the home (1,250 hospital admissions and 9,330 ED presentations). The common mechanisms of these home injuries involve glass, powered hand tools, non-powered hand tools and nails. Injuries occur most frequently in males aged 25-29 and young children aged 0-4 years. The most common injury is open wounds to the hand and fingers.