FACIAL INJURIES FROM AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS - A STUDY OF 400 CONSECUTIVE CASES

FACIAL INJURY IS PROPOSED AS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF INJURY SUSTAINED IN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS. THERE ARE NUMEROUS PUBLICATIONS DEALING WITH INJURIES FROM AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS AND MANY PUBLICATIONS DEALING WITH WITH FACIAL INJURIES AND THEIR TREATMENT. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO PREVIOUS STUDY OF A COMPREHENSIVE NATURE CONCERNED SPECIFICALLY WITH FACIAL INJURIES FROM AUTO ACCIDENTS. THE PURPOSE IS TO ANALYZE VARIOUS ASPECTS OF CAUSE, TREATMENT AND SEQUELAE OBSERVED IN 400 SUCH PATIENTS TREATED CONSECUTIVELY BY THE AUTHOR OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD. THE MATERIAL INCLUDES THE BIOPHYSICS OF INJURY AS WELL AS GENERAL STATISTICS REGARDING FREQUENCY OF SPECIFIC INJURIES, TREATMENT FORMS, ASSOCIATED INJURIES, TIME FACTORS RELATIVE TO TREATMENT, ANESTHESIA AND TRACHEOSTOMY, SCARS AND DEFORMITIES, AND MEDICAL-LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS. CONSCLUSIONS THAT CAN BE DRAWN FROM THIS STUDY ARE BOTH QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE: A STATISTICAL PROTOTYPE CAN BE FORMED AS TO THE TYPE OF VICTIM MOST LIKELY TO BE BROUGHT TO A HOSPITAL WITH FACIAL INJURY FROM AN AUTO ACCIDENT, AS WELL AS WHAT MIGHT BE EXPECTED RELATIVE TO ASSOCIATED INJURIES, TREATMENT FORMS, ANESTHESIA, RESIDUAL DEFOMITIES, AND MEDICAL-LEGAL COMPLICATIONS. THE STUDY DEFINITELY CONCLUDES THAT DEATH IS UNLIKELY FROM FACIAL INJURIES BUT MAY RESULT FROM ASSOCIATED INJURIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE RELATED TO THE HEAD. FURTHER, IT CONCLUDES THAT PERMANENT FACIAL DISFIGUREMENT IS ALMOST COMPLETELY AVOIDABLE BY AGGRESSIVE DIAGNOSTIC METHODS AND REFINED TECHNIQUES OF REPAIR. LASTLY, IT SUGGESTS THAT NEARLY ALL FACIAL INJURIES REPORTED IN THIS STUDY COULD HAVE BEEN TOTALLY AVOIDED HAD THE PASSENGER WORN A SHOULDER-LAP TYPE SEAT BELT. /AUTHOR/

  • Supplemental Notes:
    • Vol 40, No 5, PP 415-425, 10 FIG, 6 TAB, 16 REF
  • Corporate Authors:

    Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery

    ,    
  • Authors:
    • Schultz, R C
  • Publication Date: 1967

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00220825
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Source Agency: Nat Safety Council Safety Res Info Serv
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Nov 3 1970 12:00AM