The Current Status, Prognosis, and Influencing Factors of Emergency Surgery in Patients With Facial Trauma in Intoxicated State.

BACKGROUND

Acute alcohol intoxication is linked to poor trauma outcomes, but its specific impact on emergency facial trauma surgery and the role of alcohol ingestion-surgery interval remain unclear. This study aimed to address these gaps.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted from December 2024 to July 2025, enrolling 84 patients requiring emergency surgery for facial trauma. Patients were divided into an observation group (n=42, intoxicated at admission) and a control group (n=42, nonintoxicated). Data on demographics, alcohol use, trauma details, surgical parameters [eg, Maxillofacial Injury Severity Score (MFISS), cooperation, duration, blood loss], and postoperative outcomes (early complications, wound healing, scar assessment at 6 mo) were collected. The observation group was further stratified by the interval from drinking to surgery (0-6, 6-12, and 12-24 h) for subgroup analysis.

RESULTS

Intoxicated patients had significantly higher MFISS scores, poorer intraoperative cooperation, longer operation times, and greater blood loss compared with controls (all P<0.05). The overall incidence of early complications (erythema and infection) was significantly higher in the observation group (23.81% versus 7.14%, P=0.034). Subgroup analysis revealed that patients undergoing surgery within 6 hours of alcohol ingestion had the highest complication rate (57.14%), significantly higher than the 6 to 12 hours subgroup (16.13%, P<0.05), with no complications in the 12 to 24 hours subgroup. No significant intergroup differences were found in final wound healing grade, suture removal time, or 6-month Vancouver Scar Scale scores.

CONCLUSION

Acute alcohol intoxication adversely affects emergency facial trauma surgery, especially if surgery is within 6 hours of ingestion. For stable patients, delaying surgery to ≥6 hours post-ingestion and preoperative alcohol screening are recommended.