Abstract

DIAZ FERNANDEZ, José Manuel et al. Epidemiology of the severe trauma with maxillofacial implication. Rev Cubana Estomatol [online]. 2006, vol.43, n.3. ISSN 0034-7507.

A prospective and cross-sectional study was conducted in 546 patients victims of severe polytraumas that were seen at the Emergency Department of “Saturnino Lora” Provincial Teaching Hospital, in Santiago de Cuba in 2002. Of these patients, 114 presented maxillofacial injuries, and 19 of them died in the accident scene, on the way to hospital and in the own insitution. 95 patients with maxillofacial injuries survived. It was confirmed that the severity of these injuries has nothing to do with the comprehensive severity of the sustained injuries, according to the results of the AIS and the ISS, respectively. The cause of this type of injuries is multifactorial, with a predominance of car and motorcycle accidents. The mandible, zygomatic and nasoethmoidal fractures were the skeletal injury patterns with the highest incidence. The orthopedic and surgical procedures prevailed in that order. 245 associated injuries and 29 omitted in these patients during the initial examination were confirmed. Our findings emphasized the need of the active and early participation of the maxillofacial surgeons with experience in the attention of these patients, and in a close working association with general surgeons, neurosurgeons and orthopedists to attain the comprehensive and optimal care of the injured.

Keywords : Severe polytrauma; Abbreviate Injury Scale (AIS); Injury Severity Store (ISS),; skeletal injury patterns; omitted injuries; associated injuries..