title: Head and neck war injuries: 10-year experience at the American University of Beirut Medical Center.
abstract: Lebanon has witnessed over the past 10 years fierce outbreaks of violence resulting in heavy casualties. Head and neck injuries secondary to bullets, shrapnel, and/or glass were quite frequent: 1,357 injuries in 1,021 patients were taken care of by members of the Department of Otolaryngology between 1975 and 1984. They were distributed as follows: (Formula: see text). Fractures of the mandible were treated by closed reduction in 54% of cases and by open reduction in 46%; 74% healed well and 26% required secondary surgery. Primary repair of oral cavity injuries resulted in healing in 68% of cases; 32% had dehiscences or fistulae. In around one-third of the orbital injuries, the orbital contents herniated into the maxillary sinus, so orbital floor repairs had to be done with good results in 82% of cases. The nasal fractures were treated by closed reduction in 75% of cases and open reduction when the wound was open in the rest. The overall infection rate was 12%. The most common offending organisms were, in order of frequency, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli.
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon; D008337:Mandibular Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D008338:Mandibular Injuries / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D008440:Maxillary Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D008446:Maxillofacial Injuries / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D008887:Military Medicine; D009055:Mouth / Q000293:injuries; D019838:Neck Injuries; D009666:Nose / Q000293:injuries; D009915:Orbit / Q000293:injuries; D009917:Orbital Fractures / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000382:microbiology