2018 Volume 77 Issue 1 Pages 51-53
A female in 30s who fell from a height of 7 meters presented with maxilla and mandibular deflection, and bleeding from the nasal and oral cavities. CT indicated a Le Fort type II facial bone fracture. Tracheal intubation was not performed due to the lack of initial signs of airway obstruction from the hemorrhaging. After initial management, the bleeding from the nasal and oral cavities increased gradually. Therefore, the area was packed with epinephrine gauze and tracheal intubation was performed. Five hours later, increased nasal/oral bleeding was observed. Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed at the two branches of the external carotid artery. Le Fort type II facial bone fractures are usually complicated, because multiple vessels are involved and conservative therapy alone will result in uncontrollable bleeding. We conclude that early airway management procedures, such as tracheal intubation and TAE, are important strategies for treating this type of facial bone fracture.
