Medical, personal, and occupational outcomes for work-related amputations in Minnesota

Background The Minnesota Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupationa l Risks (SENSOR) surveillance system has collected data on the medical, per sonal, and occupational outcomes associated with work-related amputations s ince 1992. Methods SENSOR defined amputations as any finger amputation or the loss of any other body parr; 832 workers were identified as having amputation injur ies between 1994 and 1995 and 72% of these workers completed a telephone in terview. Results Twenty percent of those injured required overnight hospitalization. Ninety-one percent of the cases reported having missed work, with 56% repo rting missing ten or more days. Individuals working on their usual jobs at the time of injury were more likely to report less serious medical and occu pational outcomes. Conclusions Severe injuries were significantly associated with worse medica l, personal, and occupational outcomes. Two groups of machines, material ha ndling, and powered handtools were associated with a higher proportion of s evere injuries. Am. J. Ind. Med. 37.551-557, 2000. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc .