TITLE:
Obstetrician injury whilst managing a shoulder dystocia: A case report
AUTHORS:
Sa’adatu Usman, Srujana Parupalli, Amith Pinto, Nicholas Neal, Fidelma O’Mahony
KEYWORDS:
Shoulder Dystocia; Mallet Finger; Occupational Injuries
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.2 No.1,
March
31,
2012
ABSTRACT: Anecdotally, obstetricians have been known to sustain physical injuries whilst assisting deliveries but these are not always reported. This case describes how a mallet finger deformity was sustained by a consultant obstetrician whilst attempting to deliver a fetus with shoulder dystocia. Although this is a rare type of injury, it had significant impact on the consultant’s ability to provide clinical care for some time. Disruptions in service provision have direct financial consequences to the healthcare system. This case report highlights the importance of reporting these injuries at the workplace.