Almost a third of all accidents happen within your own four walls. Every year, around 2.8 million people have accidents at home, according to the Federal Statistical Office, around 12,500 people died in 2019. There are no official figures yet, but during the corona pandemic, household accidents seem to be becoming more frequent, as Artur Klaiber, chief physician in orthopedics and trauma surgery at the Ebersberg district clinic, notes.
SZ: How do you explain the increase in patients who have an accident at home?
Artur Klaiber: During lockdowns and contact restrictions, more people are at home working from home or they have to look after their children, and traveling has become more difficult. Leisure time behavior has also changed due to the closure of fitness studios and other sports facilities, with more people training at home. Many also use the time for repair work in the house, for DIY or for a major cleaning and stand on rickety chairs or ladders or work without protective clothing. A classic example is tree cutting without a secure footing. One reason why so many accidents happen at home – regardless of Corona – is that people feel safe there and are less careful than in a foreign environment.
What is the most common cause of injury?
Over 80 percent are falls. However, older people are mostly affected. As we age, our sense of balance, ability to react and muscle strength decrease. Younger people are often able to catch themselves and prevent a fall or at least a serious injury, while for older people, stumbling over the edge of the carpet is enough to break your wrist or femur, for example. In addition to shoulder fractures, these are the most common consequences of falls. Cuts and burns follow in second and third place among the most common injuries.
Artur Klaiber, Chief Physician of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery at the Ebersberg District Clinic.
(Photo: Alexander Zettl/Kreisklinik/oh)
Are women and men equally affected by domestic accidents?
Significantly more women than men are involved in everyday housework, and more men are involved in home improvement – despite equality, this is still the case. Women, for example, are more likely to get cuts, for example when chopping vegetables in the kitchen, and men are more likely to suffer burns. By the way, common injuries in children are electric shocks. At this point I can only recommend providing sockets with child safety devices.
How life-threatening is electric shock?
Depending on the severity, the consequences can be burns, shortness of breath, unconsciousness and muscle cramps. If current flows through the heart, cardiac arrhythmias can occur, so I recommend parents in particular to call the emergency services immediately or bring the child to the emergency room to have it checked.
What should someone do who cut off a fingertip, for example?
With any type of cut, the first step is to cover the wound with a sterile compress to prevent bacterial infection. If a finger limb has been severed, bring the part of the body to the emergency room in a clean container, such as a freezer bag. Our interdisciplinary doctors there decide whether it can be sewn on again.
What is the first aid for a burn?
Run affected area under cold water to avoid deeper injury to body tissue. If blisters form, cover the burned or scalded area – accidents with boiling hot water are typical here – with a sterile compress, wrap a cooling bag from the freezer or cool pads in a towel and cool with it – do not apply directly to the injured skin! Depending on the size of the area and the severity of the burn, injured people should see a doctor because a severe burn can lead to shock and, in the worst case, to organ failure. The risk is particularly high in children, as even minor or deeper burns can have major consequences. Even five to ten percent burned or scalded body surface is dangerous for a child.
Does it count as an accident at work if someone gets injured while working from home during the corona pandemic?
Since 2021, mobile working or teleworking at home has had the same insurance cover as when working in a company. However, the accident must be directly related to the professional activity. For example, if you fall over your work bag at your desk and break your leg, then that is considered an accident at work, but if the stumbling block was a child’s toy, the situation is different. In any case, an accident during home office work should be reported to the employer.