A cafeteria worker in Ho Chi Minh City put her hand into a meat grinder, which pulled in her right hand. The injuries to three fingers were so severe that doctors had to amputate them.
On October 27, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, head of the Quality Management Department at Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopedics, said the hospital had received a 44-year-old patient, identified as N.T.B., whose hand was trapped in a meat grinder. Three fingers on her right hand were severely crushed and could not all be saved.
The patient had worked as a cook at a school in Bau Bang Commune, Ho Chi Minh City, for seven years.
At about 6 a.m. on October 26, she was putting meat into the grinder. Instead of using a feeding tool, she pushed the meat in by hand as she usually did. Her right hand was pulled into the machine and could not be removed. At 8:55 a.m., she was taken to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopedics with her hand still trapped in the grinder.
After examining her, assessing the injuries and completing preparations, doctors performed emergency surgery. Doctors Vo Hieu Nghia and Pham Ba Hoang from the emergency department dismantled the machine, freed the hand, examined the injuries and treated them.
Doctors found extensive, multi-level crushing injuries to the thumb, index finger and middle finger of the right hand. They could not save the fingers completely. The team removed crushed tissue and closed the stumps of the first three fingers, while also treating and stitching wounds on the ring finger and little finger.
The patient is now stable and in less pain. Doctors continue to monitor the wound, the viability of the remaining soft tissue and the risk of infection.
Doctor Vo Hieu Nghia said meat grinder injuries can cause severe lasting damage. In this case, the crushed fingers had to be amputated, affecting the woman's daily life and work. Doctors will continue to assess her condition and provide rehabilitation advice during treatment.
Vo Hoa Khanh, deputy director of the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopedics, said the hospital still occasionally receives patients with similar injuries. The hospital has issued warnings through the media, urging people to follow workplace safety rules.
The doctor said such accidents affect not only a person's ability to work but also the psychological well-being of the patient and family. The hospital reminded people to use meat grinders safely at work and at home.
Hospital advice for using a meat grinder
Use a suitable tool to push ingredients into the grinder. Never put your hand directly into the feeding opening.
Before cleaning the grinder or removing trapped ingredients, switch it off and disconnect it completely from the power supply.
If a hand is pulled into the machine, quickly cut off the power, do not try to yank the hand free and take the injured person to a medical facility as soon as possible.
Sources: Thanh Niên
