Injuries that occur while using an axe can often be serious. Most axe injuries are preventable.
Usual sites of injury:
(1) hand
(2) foot
(3) leg
Risk factors for axe injury:
(1) intoxication
(2) inexperience
(3) exhaustion
(4) illness
(5) distraction
(6) deflection (branch, metal, glancing blow)
(7) playing around
(8) poor stance
(9) dropping
(10) impaired vision or low light situation
(11) lack of caution when sharpening
(12) poor grip (from sweat, rain or other moisture)
(13) head detachment
(14) cold
Factors which reduce the risk of axe injury:
(1) using a protective blade cover when storing or carrying the axe
(2) training
(3) taking care before each stroke
(4) wearing steel toe boots and leg protectors
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Specialty: Emergency Medicine, Critical Care
ICD-10: ,
