SAFETY BELTS REDUCE THE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF INJURIES SUSTAINED IN MOTOR VEHICLE CRASHES. SINCE THE HEAD AND FACE ARE THE MOST FREQUENTLY INJURED ANATOMIC REGIONS IN MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH VICTIMS, THE USE OF ACTIVE RESTRAINTS SHOULD LESSEN THESE INJURIES. THIS STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN TO EXAMINE THE ABILITY OF SAFETY BELTS TO PREVENT AND ALTER THE PATTERN OF MAXILLOFACIAL INJURIES. DURING A 6-MONTH PERIOD BEGINNING FEBRUARY 1, 1987, 613 MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH VICTIMS PRESENTED ALIVE TO THE TRAUMA CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE MEDICAL CENTER AT KNOXVILLE AND WERE ENTERED INTO THIS STUDY. THERE WERE 254 RESTRAINED VICTIMS (R), 290 UNRESTRAINED (UR), AND 69 WHO WERE EXCLUDED FOR LACK OF SUFFICIENT DATA REGARDING RESTRAINT USAGE.UNRESTRAINED VICTIMS TENDED TO BE YOUNGER AND MORE OFTEN MALE. IRRESPECTIVE OF POSITION WITHIN THE VEHICLE, THE MEAN NUMBER OF FACIAL LACERATIONS PER PERSON WAS LESS IN THE RESTRAINED GROUP. THIS INJURY REDUCTION WAS MORE PRONOUNCED IN FRONT SEAT OCCUPANTS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SAFETY BELTS ARE AN EFFECTIVE MEANS OF PREVENTING SOFT-TISSUE INJURIES OF THE FACE AND SKELETAL INJURIES OF THE MID AND UPPER FACE IN MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH VICTIMS. HOWEVER, AS CURRENTLY DESIGNED, SAFETY BELTS DID NOT PREVENT MANDIBULAR FRACTURES IN THE RESTRAINED PATIENTS IN THIS STUDY. THESE RESULTS SUPPORT BOTH THE USE OF SAFETY RESTRAINTS AS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD OF INJURY REDUCTION AND SUGGEST THE NEED FOR IMPROVED SAFETY BELT DESIGN. (Author/publisher).
Samenvatting