PSYCHOLOGICAL SEQUELAE OF FACIAL TRAUMA

Background: Facial trauma is common in accidents and assaults and can be accompanied by distressing psychological sequelae, Methods: Retrosp ective analysis of case notes followed by a prospective assessment of consecutive facial trauma victims was performed to determine the preva lence and detection rate of psychological sequelae. Results: Only 8 of 47 case notes (17%) contained any reference to mental state. Forty-th ree patients completed initial assessment and 7-week questionnaires, T welve (27%) were suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder at 7 wee ks, Factors significantly associated with poorer outcome were higher i nitial Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Impact of Event Scale scores, assault injury fractures, and prediction of psychological seq uelae by junior oral surgeons.Conclusion: More than one-quarter of vic tims of facial trauma in this study developed posttraumatic stress dis order, documentation of which was poor, The study suggests that psycho logical sequelae can be predicted using simple measures such as a basi c initial assessment by nonmedically qualified personnel.