Falls and Interpersonal Violence, the Main Patterns of Maxillofacial Trauma in Older Adults in Chile

To describe the presentation patterns of maxillofacial trauma cases in older adults attending hospital emergency departments.

By 2030, one in six people will be 60 years of age or older. Trauma and injuries also affect older populations, with an increase in consultations in recent years. Specifically, in the case of maxillofacial trauma, the presentation profiles would be different in those over 60 years of age from the younger population.

A multi-centre case-series analysis with maxillofacial trauma records between 2016 and 2017, in three high-complexity hospitals in the central zone of Chile. Demographic data and diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of maxillofacial trauma were recorded. Multiple correspondence analysis was applied with Stata 14.0 software.

Two hundred and fifty-nine cases of maxillofacial trauma with recorded aetiology were registered. 45.9% were men, with a mean age of 73.4 years (range: 60-95), with differences by sex (p value > 0.05). The main causes of trauma were falls, interpersonal violence and traffic accidents. Two profiles of patients were identified: (a) women aged 80 years and over, mainly affected by falls during the daytime, with minor injuries; and (b) men aged 60-79 years, mainly affected by interpersonal violence during the night, and with hard tissue injuries, requiring hospitalisation.

The emergency casuistry of maxillofacial trauma in the older population presents clearly differentiated profiles by sex, varying in severity, prognosis and aetiology. The relationships observed could help to understand in greater depth the mechanisms of trauma and injuries in the maxillofacial area that have been indicated as specific to each population and in the establishment of a potential monitoring system with the identification of injury patterns of clinical and social interest such as physical abuse of older adults.