Management of mandibular fractures in the highlands of Papua New Guinea.
The Management of fractured mandibles presenting in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is described and discussed. Features of management in this situation included: a longer period of prefixation conservative treatment; the elective use of local anaesthesia for all but the occasional operative procedure; a more aggressive attitude towards traumatised or infected teeth lying in fracture sites; confining all those patients in intermaxillary fixation or those receiving systemic medication to the hospital for the total duration of the treatment. Treatment was required to be compatible with the special problems of an unsophisticated patient population with delay in presentation, plus absence of adequate follow-up, with therapy being carried out in a hospital environment lacking specialist facilities.
D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D013997:Time Factors; D014081:Tooth Extraction