Patterns of maxillofacial injuries caused by terrorist attacks in Iraq: retrospective study

• Published in: International journal of oral and maxillofacial surgery 2011-01, Vol.40 (1), p.65-70
• Main Authors: Gataa, I.S, Muassa, Q.H
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Blast Injuries - epidemiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Dentistry; Explosions - statistics & numerical data; Eye Injuries - epidemiology; Facial Bones - injuries; Facial Injuries - epidemiology; Female; Humans; improvised explosion devices; Iraq - epidemiology; Male; Mandibular Fractures - epidemiology; Maxillary Fractures - epidemiology; maxillofacial blast injuries; Maxillofacial Injuries - epidemiology; Maxillofacial Injuries - mortality; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Orbital Fractures - epidemiology; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Retrospective Studies; Sex Factors; Skull Fractures - epidemiology; Soft Tissue Injuries - epidemiology; Surgery; terror induced maxillofacial injuries; terrorism; Terrorism - statistics & numerical data; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Wounds, Gunshot - epidemiology; Wounds, Penetrating - epidemiology; Young Adult; Zygomatic Fractures - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0901-5027; 1399-0020
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijom.2010.07.005

Abstract Over the past 5 years, Iraq has witnessed daily terrorist attacks mainly using improvised explosive devices. The aim of this study was to analyze the patterns of maxillofacial injuries caused by terrorist attacks in a sample of Iraqi casualties. Records from two hospitals, including 551 patients who sustained maxillofacial injuries due to terrorists attacks, were analyzed according to the patients’ age, sex, site of injury, type of injury and cause of injury. Concomitant injuries and mortality were also considered. The most common age group affected was those aged 15–29 years. Most of these injuries were caused by improvised explosive devices (71%). More than one facial zone was injured in 212 patients (38%). Isolated soft tissues injuries were detected in (54%) of victims. Pure maxillofacial injuries comprised 33%. The most common injuries associated with this type of trauma were eye injuries (29%). The mortality rate was 2% from pure maxillofacial injuries. Terrorist attacks cause unique maxillofacial injuries, which should be considered a new entity in the trauma field.