RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To describe the etiologies and frequency of traumatic peripheral nerve injury (TPNI) seen in the electrodiagnostic laboratory of a tertiary care hospital in Puerto Rico. METHODS: The charts of patients who underwent an electrodiagnostic study for a TPNI were revised. The main outcome measure was the frequency of each injury by anatomic location, specific nerve or nerves affected, injury mechanism, and injury severity. RESULTS: One hundred forty-six charts were included, and in them were listed a total of 163 nerve injuries; 109 (74.7%) cases were men and 37 (25.3%) were women. The mean age was 33.6 years. The facial nerve, the brachial plexus, and the ulnar nerve were more frequently injured than any other nerve or nerve bundle. The ulnar, sciatic, median, and radial nerves and the lumbosacral plexus were more commonly injured as a result of gunshot wounds than of any other mechanism of injury. The brachial plexus was most frequently injured in motor vehicle accidents and the facial nerve injuries most commonly had an iatrogenic cause. In terms of injury severity, 84.2% were incomplete and 15.8% were complete. CONCLUSION: TPNIs are common in young individuals and potentially can lead to significant disability. Further studies are needed to assess the socioeconomic impact of these injuries on our population.
Assuntos
Eletrodiagnóstico/métodos , Traumatismos dos Nervos Periféricos/epidemiologia , Nervos Periféricos/fisiopatologia , Acidentes de Trânsito/estatística & dados numéricos , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Doença Iatrogênica/epidemiologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Traumatismos dos Nervos Periféricos/diagnóstico , Traumatismos dos Nervos Periféricos/etiologia , Porto Rico , Estudos Retrospectivos , Centros de Atenção Terciária , Índices de Gravidade do Trauma , Ferimentos por Arma de Fogo/complicações , Ferimentos por Arma de Fogo/epidemiologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: Describe the etiology and frequency of traumatic peripheral nerve injuries (TPNI) in the electrodiagnostic laboratory of a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: The charts of patients who underwent an electrodiagnostic study for a TPNI were revised. The main outcome measure was the frequency of each injury by anatomic location, involved nerve, mechanism, and severity. RESULTS: 146 charts were included for a total of 163 injured nerves; 109 (74.7%) males and 37 (25.3%) females. The mean age was 33.6 years. The facial nerve and the brachial plexus followed by the ulnar nerve were more frequently involved. The ulnar, sciatic, median, radial nerve, and the lumbosacral plexus were more commonly injured by gunshot wounds, the brachial plexus by motor vehicle accidents, and the facial nerve by iatrogenic causes. The majority of the injuries were incomplete or partial (84.2% were incomplete and 15.8% complete injuries). CONCLUSIONS: TPNIs can lead to significant disability, but further investigation is needed to better understand their socio-economic impact.