Density Mapping of Nasal Fracture: A New Epidemiological Perspective of Nasal Fractures in a Pilot City

Abstract

Nasal fracture is the most common form of fracture due to maxillofacial trauma. The most common mechanisms of nasal fracture are traffic injuries, physical assault, falls, sports injuries and other causes. In this study, epidemiological data are discussed in relation to the location where the nasal fracture occurred. The aim of this study was to identify nasal fracture cases on the city map and to determine high-risk areas and the reasons, so that precautions can be taken. Material and Methods: The nasal fracture cases which were recorded in this city in the last 20 months were marked on the city map using the Geographic Information System (GIS) method. Results: According to the etiology, 33.66% of the cases were physical assault, 15.53% were falling, 27.19% were sport injuries, 10.75% were traffic injuries and 13.07% were other causes. When the etiological reasons were examined according to gender, in the male patients, physical assault was found to be 43%, traffic injuries 20%, sports injuries 20%, falling 11% and other causes 6%. In the female patients, falling was occured in 34%, physical assault in 27%, traffic injuries in 18%, sports injuries in 17% and other causes in 4%. Conclusion: The mapping of social health problems with GIS helps to provide information about the spatial distribution of diseases and to identify problematic points. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in the literature to show the epidemiological\rand etiological data of nasal fractures on a map.