@article{ref1,
title="Characteristics of maxillofacial injuries and safety of in-theater facial fracture repair in severe combat trauma",
journal="Military medicine",
year="2015",
author="Keller, Matthew W. and Han, Peggy P. and Galarneau, Michael R. and Gaball, Curtis W.",
volume="180",
number="3",
pages="315-320",
abstract="The study objectives were to characterize maxillofacial injuries and assess the safety of in-theater facial fracture repair in U.S. military personnel with severe combat trauma from Iraq and Afghanistan. We performed a retrospective chart review of the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database from 2004 to 2010. 1,345 military personnel with combat-related maxillofacial injuries were identified. Injury severity was quantified with the Abbreviated Injury Scale and Injury Severity Score. Service members with maxillofacial injury and severe combat trauma (Injury Severity Score ≥ 16) were included. The distribution of facial fractures, types, and outcomes of surgical repairs, incidence of traumatic brain injury, concomitant head and neck injuries, burn rate/severity, and rates of Acinetobacter baumannii colonization and surgical site infection were analyzed. The prevalence of maxillofacial injury in the Expeditionary Medical Encounter Database was 22.7%. The most common mechanism of injury was improvised explosive device (65.7%). Midface trauma and facial burns were common. Approximately 64% of the study sample sustained traumatic brain injury. Overall, 45.6% (109/239) had at least one facial bone fracture. Of those with facial fractures, 64.2% (n = 70) underwent surgical repair. None of the service members who underwent in-theater facial fracture repair developed A. baumannii facial wound infection or implant extrusion.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0026-4075",
doi="10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00345",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00345"
}