Avaliação imaginológica do trauma buco-maxilo-facial em um hospital de referência em trauma de Sergipe: um estudo de série de casos

Abstract

Oral and maxillofacial trauma is a significant and growing public health problem in Brazil and worldwide due to its high prevalence, etiological diversity, and high morbidity. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), head and face injuries may account for half of all traumatic deaths. The objective of this study is to describe the epidemiological profile of oral and maxillofacial trauma in a sample of patients over a six- month period at a referral trauma hospital in Sergipe. This case series consisted of a non- probabilistic convenience sample of 79 patients suffering from oral and maxillofacial trauma treated in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Traumatology department of the Emergency Room and/or admitted to the Outpatient Clinics and Wards of the Sergipe Emergency Hospital (HUSE). The data were tabulated, and a descriptive analysis was initially performed, obtaining simple frequencies for all variables. Data were evaluated according to the assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity. Subsequently, to assess whether there was a statistically significant association between gender and trauma etiology, the chi-square (χ²) test was performed. Within the study limits, a predominance of males (88.6%), median age of 35.5 years, and a majority with incomplete elementary education (29.1%) were observed. Furthermore, the main cause was motorcycle accidents (58.2%), followed by interpersonal violence (17.7%), falls (10.1%), and car accidents (7.6%). The sociodemographic profile of the sample was male, with a mean age of 35.5 years and a low level of education. The main etiological factor was traffic accidents, particularly motorcycle accidents, often without the use of helmets. The most prevalent fractures were located in the mandible and zygomatic-maxillary complex. The most commonly performed imaging exam was computed tomography.