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Evaluating Facial Trauma in the Amish: A Study of a Unique Patient Population
Bao Y Sciscent1, Hanel W Eberly1, Tonya S King2
1Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Study Design:
Retrospective Chart Review.
Objective:
The lifestyle of the Amish exposes them to unique mechanisms of injury, making them an important patient population from a facial trauma standpoint. This study analyzes the demographic and clinical risk factors of facial trauma in the Amish.
Methods:
This retrospective chart review identified all Amish patients presenting with facial trauma at a single institution between 2013-2023.
Results:
There were 87 Amish facial trauma patients. The median age was 9 years old, and 67.8% were male. Most injuries occurred on the road (41.4%), farm (28.7%), or at home (25.3%). The most frequent mechanisms were buggies (27.6%), falls (26.4%), and animals (18.4%). Fifty-eight patients sustained facial fractures, with orbital (n = 40), maxillary (n = 25), and nasal (n = 19) fractures being the most prevalent. The most common cause of facial fractures was buggy injuries (n = 17). Facial reconstruction was performed in 54.2% of buggy injuries, 31.3% of animal injuries, and 8.7% of falls. Patients with buggy injuries presented with the lowest Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores (median 13.5) and had the longest inpatient hospital stay (median 3 days).
Conclusions:
Increased injury prevention efforts, especially towards buggy injuries, are necessary.
