Violence as the Most Frequent Cause of Oral and Maxillofacial Injuries among the Patients from Low- and Middle-Income Countries—A Retrospective Study at a Level I Trauma University Emergency Department in Switzerland

Triantafillos Loutroukis, Ekaterini Loutrouki, Jolanta Klukowska-Rötzler, Sabine Koba, Fabian Schlittler, Benoit Schaller, Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos, Michael Doulberis, David S. Srivastava, Silvana Papoutsi and John Patrik M. Burkhard
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Triantafillos Loutroukis: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Ekaterini Loutrouki: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Jolanta Klukowska-Rötzler: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Sabine Koba: Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Fabian Schlittler: Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Benoit Schaller: Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Aristomenis K. Exadaktylos: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Michael Doulberis: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
David S. Srivastava: Department of Emergency Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
Silvana Papoutsi: Department of Visceral Surgery and Medicine, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland
John Patrik M. Burkhard: Department of Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, University of Bern, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 13, 1-12

Abstract: Preventive strategies can be developed by gathering more information about oral and maxillofacial injuries and oral pathologies in immigrants from low- to middle-income countries (LMIC). Additional information on the quality of care can also improve the allocation of clinical resources for the management of these patients. We studied immigrants from LMIC who presented in the emergency department (ED) at Berne University Hospital with dental problems or oral or maxillofacial injuries. The patient data included age, gender, nationality, the etiology and type of trauma and infection in the oral-maxillofacial area, and overall costs. The greatest incidence of maxillofacial injuries was observed in the age group of 16–35 years ( n = 128, 63.6%, p = 0.009), with males outnumbering females in all age groups. Trauma cases were most frequent in the late evening and were mostly associated with violence ( n = 82, 55.4%, p = 0.001). The most common fracture was fracture of the nose ( n = 31). The mean costs were approximately the same for men (mean = 2466.02 Swiss francs) and women (mean = 2117.95 Swiss francs) with maxillofacial injuries but were greater than for isolated dental problems. In conclusion, the etiology of dental and maxillofacial injuries in immigrants in Switzerland requires better support in the prevention of violence and continued promotion of oral health education.

Keywords: immigrants; low-income; middle income; facial trauma; maxillofacial trauma; oral health; dental trauma (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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