Maxillofacial trauma. Evaluation and management by the emergency physician.
The prominent visibility of the face has placed both significant functional and aesthetic roles on it. It represents a major source of communication and sensory input for the person. Maxillofacial injuries are an infrequent cause of immediate death for the multiply traumatized patient. It is therefore extremely important for the primary physician to recognize and treat facial trauma properly, and in its proper sequence in the management of the multiply traumatized patient.