Analysis of concomitant injury in maxillofacial trauma patients

Aim: The purpose of this study was to obtain demographic data, determine the etiological risk factors,occurence of maxillofacial fractures, impact of concomitant injuries in treating maxillofacial trauma patients and challenges faced in the overall management of patients.
Material and methods:The study population consisted of the patients reporting to the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Bangalore.The study was conducted over a period of 1 year between May 2023 to August 2024.The data recorded included demographics, aetiology and trauma distribution, facial fracture site, concomitant injury,Glasgow coma scale(GCS) score,Injury Severity Score(ISS), hospital stay and course, interventions, and challenges encountered. Results:A study of 30 maxillofacial trauma patients found that most injuries were from road traffic accidents, with alcohol involvement in 36.7% of cases. Significant male predominance with a male to female ratio being 9:1,with 39.8 years being the mean age. Maximum trauma was encountered by the young 20-29 year population (30%).With an incidence rate of 83.3%, mandibular fractures were the most frequent fractures seen. Concurrent injuries were prevalent, with subarachnoid haemorrhage occurring in 26.6% of cases,these injuries lead to longer hospital stay. Significant interventions for patients who sustained Maxillofacial Trauma with Concomitant injuries were enlisted.The challenges encountered were documented.Conclusion:This study is an improved foundation for understanding and managing complex trauma which is provided by its treatment descriptions, overview of concurrent injuries, including their frequency, pattern, interventions, demographics and analysis of the challenges experienced.