BACKGROUND: The study proposes to assess the demographics and management of neck injuries. METHODS: A retrospective review of 487.128 emergency department medical records from 01/1996 to 06/2001 was conducted. Out of the 378 patients selected for the analysis, 153 were excluded due to associated lesions and 14 because of death. The group of patients analyzed (n=191) had exclusively neck lesions. Injury location, kinetics of trauma, platysma involvement, signs and symptoms, admission hour and management were evaluated. RESULTS: One hundred sixty four (86%) patients were male. Mean age was 28 years (range, 10-72). Ninety (47%) injuries were caused by firearms and 88 (46%) were stab wounds. The main period of admission was between 08 pm and 04 am. The location of the lesions was 53% in the left, 45% in the right, and 2% in the median line; 36% of them being classified as zone I, 55% as II, and 9% as III. There was platysma penetration in 101 patients , half of them (n=51) presented signs and symptoms suggestive of injury, and were consequently subjected to surgical intervention. Twenty-four (47%) operative interventions were non-therapeutic. Forty-one patients (45%) were medically treated on the basis of clinical assessment. CONCLUSIONS: Young males are the most frequent victims of neck injuries. It occurs mostly in the Zone II , and the incidence of firearm and stab wounds were equivalent as a trauma mechanism. The necessity of a selective management of neck lesions is clearly evident. Regarding penetrating zone II neck injuries, the treatment may be adequated with the resources of trauma services.
Neck injuries; Epidemiology; Analysis; Therapeutical approaches
