A clinical decision aid for patients with suspected midfacial and mandibular fractures (the REDUCTION-I study): a prospective multicentre cohort study.

Purpose: To assess physical examination findings related to maxillofacial trauma to identify patients at risk of midfacial and mandibular fractures and then to construct a clinical decision aid to rule out the presence of midfacial and mandibular fractures in emergency department patients.

Methods: We performed a prospective multicentre cohort study in four hospitals in the Netherlands, including consecutive patients with maxillofacial trauma. Each patient received a standardized physical examination consisting of 15 and 14 findings for midfacial and mandibular traumas, respectively.

A clinical decision aid to discern patients without and with midfacial and mandibular fractures that require treatment (the REDUCTION-II study): a prospective multicentre cohort study.

Purpose: To assess the diagnostic accuracy of physical examination findings and to construct clinical decision aids to discern emergency department patients without and with midfacial and mandibular fractures that require treatment.

Methods: A prospective multicentre cohort study was conducted in four hospitals in the Netherlands. Consecutive maxillofacial trauma patients were included whereupon each patient underwent a standardized physical examination consisting of 15 and 14 findings for midfacial and mandibular trauma, respectively.