Profile of Facial Trauma Victims of Motorcycle Accidents: 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.