Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Facial trauma is a public health concern, with reports of about 25% of all traumas having a component of facial injury. Alcohol and illicit drug use have previously been shown to exacerbate the severity of trauma injuries. This study investigates the relationship between illicit drug use and clinical outcomes amongst patients presenting with facial fracture injuries. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter cohort study through the TriNetX database was performed. Drug Involved Facial fracture injury with illicit drug use (DIFFI+) was compared to a Non-Drug Involved Facial Fracture Injury group (DIFFI-). After propensity score matching, measures of hospital burden outcomes, surgical intervention, and underlying psychiatric diagnosis outcomes were compared. RESULTS: < 0.001), with cannabis and opioid use most common. DIFFI+ patients had a significantly higher odds of hospital burden outcomes, including psychiatry services (OR = 8.40), ventilator management (OR = 5.18), and critical care services (OR = 3.83). CONCLUSIONS/DISCUSSION: DIFFI+ was significantly correlated with greater hospital burden in all analyzed clinical outcomes. DIFFI+ patients have a higher odds of receiving surgery but lower odds of receiving a fracture diagnosis. Having a psychiatric diagnosis increases risk for DIFFI+ injury.
DOI: 10.3390/cmtr18040051
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,810
OpenAlex ID: W4417046877