Consequences of an acute traumatic hand injury - cohort study over ten years

Individuals with an acute traumatic hand injury in need of specialized care are referred to the hand surgical department. The majority is middle aged men, who are in a very active period of life. They are at risk of having problems in the acute phase as well as in the later stages due to the injury but also as a result of traumatic experiences when the accident occurred. Problems of both physical and psychological characteristics are reported. The most serious problem is the permanent loss of motor and sensory function in the hand. A permanent loss of function may have serious implications for both work and leisure and also have social and economic consequences. Traumatic stress reactions have been demonstrated up to two years after the accident.
The project aims to describe the consequences of an acute traumatic hand injury. A cohort of patients who had surgery for an acute traumatic hand injury were recruited consecutively between 1997 and 1999. They were followed up with interviews within a week after discharge from the hospital to examine the stressors and coping strategies in the acute phase. They also completed questionnaires one week, three months, one year and ten years after the accident to investigate experiences of disability, pain, changed body image, health-related quality of life and traumatic stress in a ten year perspective.
The project has clinical relevance by providing health care personnel knowledge of problems following an acute traumatic hand injury, which could be the basis for the design of support and care planning. Researcher in this project has participated in WHO's work on developing ICF Core Sets for hand injuries. The project was conducted in collaboration between the Department of Hand Surgery, Örebro University Hospital, and Department of Health and Medical Sciences, Örebro University.

Publications and conference papers in the project

Gustafsson, M., Windahl, J. & Blomberg, K. (2012) Ten years follow-up of trauma-related psychological distress in a cohort of patients with acute traumatic hand injury. International Journal of Orthopaedic and Trauma Nursing, 16, 128-135. doi: 10.1016/j.ijotn.2012.03.006.

Gustafsson, M., Hagberg, L. & Holmefur, M. (2011). Ten years follow-up of health and disability in people with acute traumatic hand injury: pain and cold sensitivity are long-standing problems. Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), 36(7), 590-98. doi: 10.1177/1753193411408186 jhs.sagepub.com.

Gustafsson, M. & Ahlström, G. (2006). Emotional distress and coping in the early stage of recovery following acute traumatic hand injury: a questionnaire survey. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 43(5), 557-65. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2005.07.006

Gustafsson, M. & Ahlström, G. (2004). Problems experienced during the first year of an acute traumatic hand injury - a prospective study. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 13(8), 986-95.

Gustafsson M., Ahlström G. Nursing diagnoses in patients with acute traumatic hand injuries. Föredrag 12^th Biennial Conference of  Workgroup of European Nurses Researchers (WENR), okt 2004, Lissabon

Gustafsson, M., Amilon, A. & Ahlström, G. (2003). Trauma-related distress and mood disorders in the early stage of an acute traumatic hand injury. Journal of Hand Surgery (Br.), 28(4), 332-8.

Gustafsson M, Persson L-O, Amilon A. Coping with stressful circumstances in the early stage of acute traumatic hand injury. Föredrag 11^th Biennial Conference of the Workgroup of European Nurses Researchers (WENR), september 2002, Geneve

Gustafsson, M., Persson, L.O. & Amilon, A. (2002). A qualitative study of coping in the early stage of acute traumatic hand injury. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 11(5), 594-602.

Gustafsson, M., Persson, L.O. & Amilon, A. (2000). A qualitative study of stress factors in the early stage of acute traumatic hand injury. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 32(6), 1333-40.