TITLE:
Cut Throat Injuries—A Retrospective Study at a Tertiary Referral Hospital
AUTHORS:
Suman Arasikere Panchappa, Dhinakaran Natarajan, Thangaraj Karuppasamy, Alaguvadivel Jeyabalan, Radhakrishnan Kailasam Ramamoorthy, Sivasubramanian Thirani, Rajaganesh Kutuva Swamirao
KEYWORDS:
Cut Throat Injury, Treatment, Outcome
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Otolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery,
Vol.3 No.6,
November
3,
2014
ABSTRACT: Objective: To analyze the socio demographic pattern, sex and age ratio, common causes, the most common site and extent of the injury in the patients with cut throat injury at our hospital. To compare the same with previous similar studies conducted at other centers in different parts of the world. Setting: Department of ENT, Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai, India from January 2013 to June 2014. Methods: A total of 51 cases of cut throat injury were included in the study. Separate proforma was prepared to collect the patients’ data. Structured questionnaire was offered. Results: 51 cases of cut throat injury patients were included in the study. Age varied from 4 years to 80 years. Out of 51 cases, there were 43 males, 7 females and one male child. Male to female ratio was 6.2:1. All the patients were belonging to lower socioeconomic status (Kuppusamy class 5). Amongst them 26 cases (50.98%) were due to homicidal attack; 13 cases (25.49%) due to suicidal attempt; 7 cases (13.72%) due to road traffic accident; 4 cases (7.84%) due to bull gore injury; 1 case (1.96%) due to accidental fall. Emergency tracheostomy was done in 16 cases (33.33%). An average hospital stay for most of the patients was less than 3 weeks. 2 victims (3.92%) died due to haemorhage, aspiration pnuemonia and septicemia. Conclusions: Our study found that the majority of the victims were males of age between 20 years to 40 years from poor socioeconomic status. Social commitment and political motivation, decrease in the poverty, individual awareness, increase in economic growth, and literacy rate will prevent the cut throat injuries. Early and improved management will reduce the mortality and morbidity.