title: Analysis of maxillofacial fracture victims in the Wenchuan earthquake and Yushu earthquake.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze retrospectively 419 patients after the Wenchuan earthquake and 46 after Yushu earthquake with maxillofacial fractures so as to provide reference on patients' treatment after an earthquake.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated 419 patients after Wenchuan earthquake and 46 after Yushu earthquake with maxillofacial fractures who were admitted to the West China Hospital of Stomatology and other 46 hospitals in 10 provinces.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 58 patients had maxillofacial fractures (13.8%) including 33 (56.9%) men and 25 (43.1%) women after the Wenchuan earthquake and 6 (13%) had maxillofacial fractures after Yushu earthquake. Most patients were injured by pressing or burying. The nasal-orbital-ethmoidal region was the most frequent site of the maxillofacial fracture (58.6% in the Wenchuan earthquake and 66.7% in the Yushu earthquake). The most prevalent pattern of maxillofacial fracture was multiple and/or comminuted fractures (87.9% in the Wenchuan earthquake and 100% in the Yushu earthquake). There were 48 (82.8%) patients with associated injuries, and the most common site was extremity injuries (58.6%) after Wenchuan earthquake. Few patients received adequate prehospital treatment, with bandages predominantly. Most patients (65.5% in the Wenchuan earthquake and 100% in the Yushu earthquake) underwent open reduction and rigid internal fixation. We failed to find any patients with generalized infection. However, all patients in our study presented the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We analyze the characteristics of maxillofacial fractures after the two earthquakes, so as to improve our medical emergency system when such disasters happen again.
authors.affiliation: Faculty, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Weidong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tian
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005004:Ethmoid Bone / Q000293:injuries; D005260:Female; D005593:Fracture Fixation, Internal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018460:Fractures, Comminuted / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008446:Maxillofacial Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology; D009295:Nasal Bone / Q000293:injuries; D009917:Orbital Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult; D015051:Zygomatic Fractures / Q000453:epidemiology