Revista de Otologia e Rinologia

Clinical Analysis and Financial Loss of Alcohol-Related Maxillofacial Trauma

Baek MK, Kim ST, Jung JH, Woo JH, Baek MJ, Cha HE and Kang IG

Objective: To evaluate clinical analysis and financial loss of alcohol-related maxillofacial trauma in tertiary medical center. Study design: Case series with chart review.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of maxillofacial injury patients who visited our emergency department between January 1st 2010 and December 31st 2010. Alcohol-related maxillofacial injuries were defined as cases in which the alcohol was the direct cause of the injury. The type of injury was assessed by physical and radiologic examination. We also documented the patients’ age, sex and the combined injuries along with the medical cost.
Results: We assessed 441 patients with maxillofacial injury. Alcohol was the cause of the injury in the case of 82 of these patients (18.2%). Among them 75 were male (91%) and 7 were (8.5%) female. Blowout fracture and nasal bone fracture were the most common type of injuries (91.5%). Intracranial hemorrhage was
the common type of combined injury (6%). Each patient spent an average of $2,800 towards medical care which includes the public insurance and the final average medical cost per patient came up to about $14,000.
Conclusion: Alcohol-related maxillofacial injury mainly occurs in young men and where blowout and nasal bone fractures are common type of alcohol related maxillofacial fractures. Maxillofacial injury causes many socioeconomic problems and therefore the harmful side-effects of the alcohol could be decreased by educating the public on the consequences of drinking and driving and violent behaviors they often show drinking.