Changing patterns of severe craniomaxillofacial trauma in Auckland over eight years.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to review the changing pattern of incidence of severe craniomaxillofacial (CMF) trauma in Auckland over 8 years (1989-1997) and to audit the involvement of the regional plastic surgery service.

METHODS: A review of prospectively collected admission data of patients admitted to the Auckland Hospital Department of Critical Care Medicine (DCCM) with severe CMF trauma during 1997. A comparison is made with similar data from 1989. Injury severity was defined using the Injury Severity Score (ISS).

RESULTS: Twenty-six patients with severe CMF trauma were admitted to Auckland Hospital DCCM in 1997. Their average ISS was 35. Eighty per cent had a significant head injury. Sixty-two per cent had injuries due to road traffic accidents (RTA) and 42% had positive blood alcohol levels, including 37% of the RTA victims. Twenty-three per cent had their surgical care provided by the regional plastic surgery service. In 1989, 55 patients were admitted to DCCM with severe CMF trauma. The average ISS was 36. Ninety-five per cent had a significant head injury. Seventy-three per cent had injuries due to RTA and 55% had positive blood alcohol, including 60% of the RTA group.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with severe CMF trauma make up a significant proportion of trauma admissions to DCCM and have a high incidence of life-threatening injuries. A multidisciplinary approach is essential. The nature and severity of these injuries has not changed over the last decade. There has been a clear decrease in the incidence of these injuries. This seems to be due to a profound decrease in the rate of RTA associated with alcohol intoxication.