MAXILLOFACIAL SOFT TISSUE INJURIES IN NAIROBI, KENYA.

Objectives: To determine the aetiological factors and pattern of occurrence of maxillofacial soft tissue injuries (MF-STIs) presenting at a Kenyan National Referral Hospital in Nairobi.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Settings: The accident and emergency department of the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) between September 2009 and December 2009.

Subjects: Four hundred and twenty two patients treated for MF-STIs.

Results: The male to female ratio was 3.3:1. Motor vehicle accidents (MVA) were the leading cause of MF-STIs (44.6%) followed by interpersonal violence (IPV) (39.1%). MVA (50.0%) was the leading cause of MF-STIs in the less than 12-year-olds while falls from heights (58.3%) was the leading cause in under five-year-olds. IPV (48.1%) was the leading cause of facial fractures. There were no skeletal fractures observed in the under five-year-olds. Head injury (36%) and fractures of the long bones (52%) were the most common associated injuries.

Conclusion: The leading causes of MF-STIs apparently differ from those of skeletal fractures.