BAOMS National Facial Injury Surveys

Background

We have carried out 2 national prospective surveys in 1997 and 2008. We would like to collect a third survey in 2020.

The survey was carried out in A&E departments over a week in 1997 and again in 2008. A 1-page proforma was completed on all the patients with facial injuries covering all aspects of their presentation and treatment by OMFS junior trainees and students. They went to A&E every morning to look up every facial injury, the demographics of the patients, the setting, the causes and treatment of the injury.

The 1997 survey was the first national prospective study of facial injuries.

The 1997 and 2008 survey analysed 14,854 patients in total. One of the most striking findings was the involvement of the 15-25 age group, who suffered the highest number of assaults including alcohol-related assault. Facial injuries occurring in public bars and on the street were highest in this age group. It was also found that 44% of all assaults on women occurred at home and nearly half of these were associated with alcohol consumption. 24% of the facial injuries were caused by assault, of these 55% were related to alcohol consumption.

We were pleased to discover that the data was used by the then American President Bill Clinton’s alcohol committee.

We are hoping to complete the survey again at 160 A&E departments in September 2020.