Introduction:
Trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Motorbike riders have the highest incidence of road traffic accidents. The maxillofacial region is highly vulnerable to such incidents. Injuries to this region can lead to severe bleeding and airway compromise. Not wearing a helmet and drug intoxication can increase the risk of accidents and their complications. Patterns and severity of these injuries vary with road conditions, speed and type of impact.
Aims and Objectives:
The current study intends to assess the patterns and severity of maxillofacial injuries among intoxicated and non-intoxicated victims of motorbike accidents.
Materials and Methods:
The present study was a single-centre, Prospective Observational study conducted on patients admitted into the emergency medicine department with suspected maxillofacial injuries to motorbike accidents at PESIMSR Hospital, Kuppam, from October 2018 to July 2020.
Results:
There was a clear male preponderance with 11 males for every female. Two-thirds of patients were aged between 25-and 50 years. Skid and fall and head-on-collision were common mechanisms of injury. Soft-tissue injuries like abrasions and lacerations were common injuries. Ninety-one patients had facial fractures, mostly involving the midface. Nasal bone fractures were most frequent. Of the 149 patients, 54 had an A.I.S. score of 1, 43 had 2, 21 had 3, 18 had 4 and 13 had 5. There was no significant difference in the severity or patterns of injuries in intoxicated patients.
Conclusion:
Midface injuries are more common. Intoxication increases the risk of injuries. But it does not seem to alter the patterns and severity of injuries.
Key words: maxillofacial injuries, patterns and severity, motorbike accidents, the influence of alcohol
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