A retrospective review of airway management in maxillofacial trauma

Background: Maxillofacial injury has been described in the medical literature as early as 2500 BC. Although, these injuries appear very fearsome. They cause menace to life only, if they obstruct the airway. This is of utmost concern to the anesthetist, because of their closeness to the airway. Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of patients who underwent surgery for facial fractures within the period of 10 years in a Nigerian tertiary health care facility. Results: There were 264 cases of facial fracture with panfacial fracture, i.e., 123 cases (46.6%) constituting the bulk. The majority, i.e., 187 (70.8%) were male and the mean age was 33 years. Nasotracheal intubation (213 [81.5%]) was the technique widely used followed by orotracheal intubation (41 [15.5%]). The majority of the patients, i.e. 145 (54.9%) was Mallampati III and had advanced airway management. Most of our patients had the American Society of Anesthesiologists II, complications occurred in only 6% of patients. Conclusion: Nasal intubation was the preferred mode of intubation by the maxillofacial surgeons and the anesthetists.