Clinical Characteristics of Nasal Fractures: An 11-year Retrospective Study.

Abstract

Introduction  Nasal fractures are one of the most common diseases in the otorhinolaryngology emergency room that leads to significant complications. However, there is still no suitable method to prevent their occurrence, which may result from insufficient studies on their causes and related factors. Objectives  To describe the demographic features, pattern, time of consultation, and etiological factors of patients with different types of nasal fractures. Methods  We conducted a retrospective study of the records of patients with a diagnosis of nasal fracture treated between 2010 and 2021. The data included demographic characteristics, type of maxillofacial injury and associated lesions, complication rates, treatment modalities, and a description of the surgery. Results  We included 599 patients, mostly male subjects (81.6%) injured in a road accident (55.3%), with a mean age of 31.64 ± 14.65 years, and mean length of hospital stay of 2.27 ± 2.21 days. Most accompanying fractures were maxillary (38.5%), multiple (24.6%), and mandibular (23.1%). The mean length of hospital stay was statistically different according to the cause of the fracture ( p  = 0.036) and the types of treatment performed ( p  = 0.041). Conclusion  In general, trauma patients in the second to fourth decades of life and of the male gender are more prone to nasal fractures. Identifying the factors affecting the incidence of fractures enables the determination of the presentation patterns and the nature of the lesions to be evaluated. In addition, treatment evaluation and an analysis of the complication rate enable a more realistic interpretation of how patients are managed.