title: Incidence estimates of hand and upper extremity injuries in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this investigation is to estimate the incidence rates of upper extremity injuries and to give an overview of the most frequent diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two population databases were queried for all injuries in the upper extremities, the SINIACA-IDB (S-IDB: Emergency Department Injury Database in Italy) and the Hospital Discharge Register (HDR). The diagnoses codes of hand trauma were selected from both databases in order to estimate the national incidence rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the S-IDB data of year 2011, total 1 479 510 ED attendances per year in Italy were estimated with an upper extremity injury (incidence rate: 2491 per 100 000 persons/year). About 880 816 Emergency Department (ED) attendances per year are due to hand injuries, while over 653 336 attendances per year concern arm injuries. The incidence rates are 1483 and 1100 per 100 000 person/year respectively. About 201 940 hospitalizations are observed in the HDR because of upper extremity injuries (incidence rate: 340 per 100 000 persons/year). Males have higher incidence rate (387 vs 280 per 100 000 persons per year). The trend in the incidence rates for the age group of inpatients shows two peaks: at age 12 (400 cases per 100 000 persons/year), and in the older age groups (700 cases per 100 000 persons/year).
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Giustini
authors.affiliation: Plastic Reconstructive Surgery Department, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de Leo
authors.affiliation: Unità di Chirurgia della Mano e Microchirurgia, Policlinico di Modena, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leti Acciaro
authors.affiliation: Unità di Chirurgia della Mano, MultiMedica Holding, Dipartimento di Chirurgia Plastica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pajardi
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Epidemiologia, ASL TO3, Piedmont Region, Grugliasco, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mamo
authors.affiliation: Agenzia Regionale di Sanità della Toscana, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Voller
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Pediatria della Comunità, ASL di Nuoro, Nuoro, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fadda
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fondi
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Ambiente e Connessa Prevenzione Primaria, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pitidis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001134:Arm Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000293:injuries*; D055815:Young Adult