D. Greene et al., EPIDEMIOLOGY OF FACIAL INJURY IN BLUNT ASSAULT - DETERMINANTS OF INCIDENCE AND OUTCOME IN 802 PATIENTS, Archives of otolaryngology, head & neck surgery, 123(9), 1997, pp. 923-928
Background: Facial assault trauma has reached epidemic proportions. Wh
ile the biomechanics of injury, methods of repair, and general demogra
phy of blunt facial trauma are well known, statistical associations be
tween epidemiological factors, incidence, and outcome are poorly under
stood. Objectives: To provide a comprehensive epidemiological survey o
f this patient population. To assess factors determining outcome and p
attern of injury. Design: Retrospective review of 802 patients admitte
d with blunt assault facial trauma. Statistical analysis of associatio
ns between epidemiological factors, incidence, and outcome with X-2 te
st, 2-tailed t test, and Fisher exact test. Setting: Urban university
and county hospital. Results: Statistically significant associations a
re demonstrated between gender and the context of assault, incidence o
f armed assault, presence of fracture, and rate of intoxication at inj
ury. Poor prognostic indicators for outcome include use of tobacco and
presence of a mandible fracture. Open reduction and internal fixation
were found to bear a higher complication rate only in mandible fractu
res. Conclusions: While choice of treatment carries a statistically si
gnificant association with outcome, social variables, including gender
, tobacco use, intoxication, and low socioeconomic status, produce dra
matic worsening of both injury incidence and outcome.