Pediatric maxillofacial trauma: Epidemiologic study between 2015 and 2020

Abstract

Intraduction: Maxillofacial trauma is the most common type of trauma and is an important cause of high morbidity and mortality. Emotional traumas occur in children due to sequelae caused by injuries and the rest of their lives are negatively affected. The aim of this study is to investigate the etiology, epidemiology, and injury type of pediatric maxillofacial traumas, and to make recommendations to prevent injury to children. Materials and Methods: This descriptive retrospective study was conducted in a regional tertiary hospital. The medical records of all maxillofacial trauma-related admissions to the emergency department between January 2015 and February 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. Etiology of trauma, demographic characteristics, type of trauma, accident type, injury site, administered treatments, and mortality were recorded. Results: 1029 patients aged 4months-18years (mean 77.67±59.21 months) including 288 females (28%) and 741males (72%) were included in the study. Most of the patients (n = 390, 37.9%) were in the 13-18years of age group. The vast majority of the study population lived in the urban area (753-73.2%). Most injuries were seen in the summer (438-42.6%). After head+cervical injuries, the most common upper extremity injuries (171-16.6%) were seen, the least thoracic injuries (69-6.7%). 57 (5.5%) patients were required hospitalization and the mortality rate was 1.2% (n = 12). Conclusions: Pediatric maxillofacial traumas occur mostly in the male gender, in summer, in urban areas, and due to motorcycle accidents. In order to reduce child maxillofacial traumas, public awareness should be increased and playgrounds suitable for all age groups should be created.