Motorcycle related cranio-maxillofacial injuries at a tertiary hospital in the Philippines

ABSTRACT

@#<p style="text-align justify;"><strong>OBJECTIVE:</strong> To describe the type and determine the number of motorcycle related cranio-maxillofacial injuries that were seen by the ORL service in the emergency room of a tertiary hospital from January 2013 to December 2013.<br /><strong>METHODS: </strong> <br /><strong>Design:</strong> Cross sectional retrospective chart review<br /><strong>Setting:</strong> Tertiary National University Hospital<br /><strong>Participants:</strong> One hundred nine (109) charts of patients seen atr the emergency room from Jnuary 2013 to December 2013 were reviewed<br /><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Of the 109 charts of patients involved in vehicular accidents, there were 76 documented cases of motorcycle related accidents. Of these, 91% involved males and 9% involved females. Seventy one percent (71%) did not wear helmets of whom 36% were young adult males between the ages of 18-30 years. Those that wore helmets had a total of 27 different facial fracture sites 19% zygomatic tripod fractures, 15% temporal bone fractures and 11% with no fractures noted. Among those who did not wear helmets 75 fractures were noted. Twenty four percent (24%) were tripod fractures, 15% temporal bone fractures and 12% maxillary fractures. only one did not incur any fractures.<br /><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Most cranio-maxillofacial fractures seen at the emergency room were from motorcycle related injuries (70%). Despite implementation of Republic Act 10054 (The Motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009) majority of motorcycle-related accidents are still incurred by riders without helmets.</p>