Abstract
Background. Penetrating neck trauma is a unique form of trauma that is on the rise all over the world and contributes significantly to high morbidity and mortality.Design. Retrospective and prospective case series.Setting. Urban, level II trauma hospital.Patients. Patients who had sustained penetrating trauma to the neck.Main Outcome Measures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, injury characteristics, and treatment outcome of penetrating neck trauma in our local setting and to suggest treatment protocols.Patients and Methods. This was a combined retrospective and prospective study of penetrating neck trauma patients who were managed at level II trauma hospital, Asceer region, Saudi Arabia, from March 2008 to March 2011.Results. A total of 49 patients were studied. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 11.25:1. Their mean age (SD) was 31.1(12.6) years. Fourteen patients were caused by stab-wound injuries. Most injuries were in zone II (83.7%). More than one-third of patients were treated conservatively. Wound exploration and debridement were the mode of treatment in the majority of cases. The mean duration of hospital stay was 6.6 days (1–18 days). Mortality rate was 12.2%.Conclusion. The present paper illustrates the difficulties of managing penetrating neck injuries in our region, Saudi Arabia.
Highlights
Injuries to the neck are most commonly associated with motor vehicle crashes
Patients with hard signs mandate exploration were taken into the operative theatre immediately. patients with penetrating neck trauma with no signs mandate immediate exploration were admitted to surgical wards or the intensive care unit (ICU) from where further treatment was instituted and necessary investigations were completed
During the period of study, a total of 49 patients with penetrating neck trauma were admitted to our surgical department
Summary
Injuries to the neck are most commonly associated with motor vehicle crashes. Other mechanisms include gunshot, assaults, hangings, shrapnels, and falls [1]. The etiology of penetrating neck injuries are numerous, the most common of which are gunshots, stabbings, and miscellaneous. Patients who had sustained penetrating trauma to the neck. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence, injury characteristics, and treatment outcome of penetrating neck trauma in our local setting and to suggest treatment protocols. This was a combined retrospective and prospective study of penetrating neck trauma patients who were managed at level II trauma hospital, Asceer region, Saudi Arabia, from March 2008 to March 2011. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 11.25:1 Their mean age (SD) was 31.1(12.6) years. Fourteen patients were caused by stab-wound injuries. The present paper illustrates the difficulties of managing penetrating neck injuries in our region, Saudi Arabia
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