PERSISTENT MEDICAL PROBLEMS AND PERMANENT IMPAIRMENT 5 YEARS AFTER OCCUPATIONAL INJURY

In a comprehensive, one year material of 1785 occupational injuries in the township of Umea, Sweden, 1985-04-01/ 1986-03-31,the proportion of persons with persistent medical problems, two years after the event, was 39%. These were investigated again in 1990, five years after the event, and the proportion of persons with persistent medical problems had dropped to 23%. Around 4% of the injured had a definable permanent medical impairment, most often caused by a fracture, luxation or amputation of an upper extremity. Back injuries, however, were the most frequent cause for persistent medical problems, mostly in the form of ache and pain. Persons in health care, social and nursing occupations had a twice as high proportion of persistent problems as the average in the material. Of the persons that reported persistent medical problems when interviewed in 1990, one in three had changed his leisure time activities, one in five had changed jobs, and one in ten had retired early or was on long term sick leave. The group of early retired and persons on long term sick leave had a large proportion of young females and old males. The reader is reminded that conclusions and comparisons must be made with reference to the assessment and benefit structure in the particular systems of social insurance and workers' compensation.