Original scientific paper

Violent Deaths and Maxillofacial Injuries in Children and Adolescents in Campina Grande, PB, Brazil

Alessandro Leite Cavalcanti orcid.org/0000-0003-3572-3332 ; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, State University of Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
Catarina Ribeiro Barros de Alencar ; School of Dentistry, State University of Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
Alidianne Fábia Cabral Xavier ; Student of the Master’s Degree Program in Dentistry, School of Dentistry, State University of Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil
Christiane Leite Cavalcanti ; Departament of Nutrition, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa, PB, Brazil

Abstract

Objective: In this study, mortality by external causes of children and adolescents and the occurrence of maxillofacial injuries was evaluated in the city of Campina Grande, PB, Brazil in 2003. Methods: 837 forensic medical reports were reviewed, 115 (13.7%) of them belonging to victims aged from 0 to 18 years. The causes were classified according to the Chapter XX of the International Classification of Diseases - CID 10. Data were organized using Epi-Info 3.4.1 software. The association of the variables: type of cause and maxillofacial injuries as dependent variables and sex and age as independent variable was performed by the chi-square and Fisher’s exact tests (p<0.05). Results: Higher mortality was observed among boys (70.4%) and in the 14-18-year-old age group (50.3%), although without statistically significant difference between the age groups and the genders (p=0.149). There was a predominance of traffic accidents (32.2%), most involving pedestrians (37.8%). Males had a 4.6 times greater chance of being victims of firearms than females. Most of the victims had multiple injuries, with predominance of abrasions (39.4%) and wounds (24.5%). The prevalence of injuries to the head and face was 22.5% and 20.4%, respectively. Maxillofacial injuries were identified in 41.7% of the victims. Six victims (12.5%) exhibited fractures, mainly in the mandible (37.5%). Victims of traffic accidents had a 2.9 times greater chance of suffering injuries to the maxillofacial region. Conclusion: Boys aged between 14 and 18 years were the main victims of fatalities due to external causes, mainly traffic accidents, and the occurrence of multiples injuries to the head and face was frequent.

Keywords

Mortality; Accidents, Traffic; Firearms; Wounds; Child; Adolescents

Hrčak ID:

76022

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/76022

Publication date:

20.12.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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