Profile of Facial Trauma Victims of Motorcycle Accidents Treated at a Hospital in Northeastern Brazil: A Prospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: To outline the profile of patients with facial trauma, victims of motorcycle accidents, treated at the Hospital da Restauração, Recife/PE, Brazil, from December 2020 to July 2021. METHODS: The collection was carried out through questionnaire and analysis of medical records. Data were analyzed descriptively, as well as Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Among the patients, 88.6% were male, 47.5% were between 18 and 29 years old, and 59.6% lived in rural areas; 72.15% of the victims used the motorcycle for work and 43.52% were working at the time of the accident. Most victims did not have a national motorcycle license (62%) and were not wearing a helmet at the time of the accident (60%), with 37.6% wearing a full-face helmet, 16.5% an open helmet, and 5.9% an articulated full-face helmet. Soft tissue injuries were the most prevalent. Zygomatic complex fractures were the most common facial fractures and were significantly associated with helmet use and type. CONCLUSIONS: Most victims of motorcycle accidents are young adult men, without a regular driver's license and residing in rural areas. Preventive and educational actions and continuous traffic inspections are necessary to minimize these accidents.

Relationship between the use and types of helmets with facial injuries - a prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: many studies have demonstrated the benefits of helmet to prevent and reduce severity of injuries in motorcyclists. OBJECTIVE: the aim of the present study was to evaluate a possible relationship between the use of different types of helmets and the occurrence of facial injuries among victims of motorcycle accidents, seen at Hospital da Restauração, Recife/PE, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: demographic and trauma data were collected from hospitalized motorcycle accident victims with facial injuries from December 2020 to July 2021. Pearsons chi-square test was used to assess association between two categorical variables using a margin of error of 5%. RESULTS: among the participants, the average age was 33.46 years. The age group between 18 and 29 years was the most prevalent. Most participants were male. 60.0% of motorcyclists used helmets at the time of the accident and of this percentage 37.6% used fixed full-face helmet, 16.5% open-face helmet and the other 5.9% articulated full-face helmet. 62.7% of participants had facial fractures. Among the fractures, those of the zygomatic-orbital complex were the most common fracture and were significantly associated with the use of helmets, especially with open-face helmet. CONCLUSIONS: the use of helmets was associated with a lower number of facial fractures among patients who were victims of motorcycle accidents. Fracture of the zygomatic-orbital complex was related to the absence of a helmet at the time of the accident, as well as the use of open-face helmets.

Relationship between the use and types of helmets with facial injuries - a prospective study / Relação entre o uso e os tipos de capacetes e os traumatismo faciais - um estudo prospectivo

ABSTRACT Introduction: many studies have demonstrated the benefits of helmet to prevent and reduce severity of injuries in motorcyclists. Objective: the aim of the present study was to evaluate a possible relationship between the use of different types of helmets and the occurrence of facial injuries among victims of motorcycle accidents, seen at Hospital da Restauração, Recife/PE, Brazil. Materials and methods: demographic and trauma data were collected from hospitalized motorcycle accident victims with facial injuries from December 2020 to July 2021. Pearsons chi-square test was used to assess association between two categorical variables using a margin of error of 5%. Results: among the participants, the average age was 33.46 years. The age group between 18 and 29 years was the most prevalent. Most participants were male. 60.0% of motorcyclists used helmets at the time of the accident and of this percentage 37.6% used fixed full-face helmet, 16.5% open-face helmet and the other 5.9% articulated full-face helmet. 62.7% of participants had facial fractures. Among the fractures, those of the zygomatic-orbital complex were the most common fracture and were significantly associated with the use of helmets, especially with open-face helmet. Conclusions: the use of helmets was associated with a lower number of facial fractures among patients who were victims of motorcycle accidents. Fracture of the zygomatic-orbital complex was related to the absence of a helmet at the time of the accident, as well as the use of open-face helmets.

RESUMO Introdução: muitos estudos têm demonstrado os benefícios do uso de capacete para prevenir e reduzir a gravidade das lesões em motociclistas. Objetivo: o objetivo do presente trabalho consistiu em avaliar uma possível relação entre o uso dos diversos tipos de capacete e a ocorrência do trauma facial entre vítimas de acidentes motociclísticos atendidos no Hospital da Restauração, Recife/PE, Brasil. Materiais e Métodos: os dados demográficos e referentes ao trauma foram coletados de vítimas de acidentes motociclísticos hospitalizados com lesões faciais durante o período de Dezembro de 2020 a Julho de 2021. O teste do qui-quadrado de Pearson foi utilizado para avaliar a relação entre duas variáveis categóricas utilizando uma margem de erro de 5%. Resultados: a idade média dos participantes foi 33,46 anos. A faixa etária entre 18 a 29 anos foi a mais prevalente. A maioria dos participantes eram do gênero masculino. 60,0% dos motociclistas utilizavam capacetes no momento do acidente e deste percentual 37,6% utilizavam capacete fechado, 16,5% capacete aberto e os outros 5,9% capacete escamoteável. 62,7% dos participantes tiveram fraturas faciais. Dentre as fraturas, as do complexo zigomático-orbitário foram as mais prevalentes e foram associadas com o uso de capacetes, especialmente os abertos. Conclusões: o uso de capacetes foi associado com um menor número de fraturas faciais entre os paciente vítimas de acidentes motociclísticos. A fratura do complexo zigomático-orbitário foi relacionada com a ausência de capacete no momento do acidente, bem como com o uso de capacetes abertos.