Be careful where you aim: craniomaxillofacial trauma from the utility of metal hammers

A hammer is a popular tool among the “do it yourself” (DIY) population who pursue home-improvement projects. While we are aware that hammers have health hazards, no study has yet to explore the craniomaxillofacial injuries that could arise from the use of hammers. The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of craniomaxillofacial injuries from hammers. This is a 20-year cross-sectional study conducted using the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS). Injuries from hammers were included in this study if they involved the head, face, eyeball, mouth, or ear. The study predictor was the mechanism of injury. The study outcome was the admission rate from the emergency department (ED) and anatomical site injured. Patient and injury characteristics were compared using chi-squared and independent sample tests. Our final sample had a total of 2967 hammer-induced injuries. Most of the sample consisted of white (55.3%) males (80.2%). Summer was the most injury-congested season (30.1%). The majority of the patients were over the age of 18 (65.6%). Laceration (47.3%) was the most common primary diagnosis, followed by contusion/abrasion (21.9%). The head (42.9%) was the most commonly injured craniomaxillofacial region followed by the face (29.0%). Craniomaxillofacial injury most frequently transpired at the patient’s home (63.6%). Concerning the mechanism of injury, accidentally self-induced injuries with a hammer were the most common (32.4%). Patients who were injured from the debris were more likely (P