ETIOLOGICAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TRAUMA PATIENTS EVALUATED BY PLASTIC SURGERY

Aim: Plastic reconstructive and aesthetic surgery is one of the important areas in the evaluation and treatment of trauma patients. The increase in work accidents, the increase in falls due to the aging of the society, and the increase in the frequency of use of daily machines and tools increase the incidence of trauma. The aim of this study is to reveal the demographic and etiological characteristics of trauma patients and to emphasize the importance of plastic surgery in trauma treatment. Method: In this study, emergency patients evaluated by plastic surgeons during a 2-year period between November 2018 and November 2020 were retrospectively examined. The age and gender characteristics of the patients were recorded. Age groups are divided into under 18 years of age, pediatric age group and above adult age group. Then, clinically, the patients were divided into two groups: hand and upper extremity traumas and maxillofacial traumas (MFT). Patients in these groups are divided etiologically into home accidents, work accidents, falls, traffic accidents and violence etiology. Results: A total of 3278 patients were included in the study. 1327 of these patients were in the adult (898 men, 429 women) age group and 1951 were in the pediatric age group (1290 men, 661 women). 1253 patients (38.2%) presented with hand and upper extremity trauma, and 2025 patients (61.8%) presented with MFT. Male patients had a higher rate of applying to the emergency department after trauma. Among all patients, 1156 (35.3%) home accidents, 1157 (35.3%) falls, 402 (12.2%) work accidents, 318 (9.7%) traffic accidents and 245 (7.5%) violence etiologies were detected. While hand and upper extremity accidents are more common in the adult age group, work accidents constitute the majority of this group. Since aesthetic and functional concerns are greater in the pediatric age group, even simple lacerations in the facial area are evaluated by plastic surgery, and MFT is more common in this group. The etiology of violence was frequently seen in adult male patients. Conclusion: Trauma patients constitute a large portion of plastic surgery emergencies. Examination and detailed anamnesis of these patients are important in elucidating the etiology. Male individuals are evaluated more after trauma. In the adult age group, work accidents and hand injuries are more common in men, while home accidents are more common in women. MFT is seen more frequently in pediatric patients. Key Words: Trauma, violence, hand and upper extremity injuries, maxillofacial trauma