Surgical rib fixation for flail chest deformity improves liberation from mechanical ventilation.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

The goal of this study was to determine the impact of surgical rib fixation (SRF) in a treatment protocol for severe blunt chest trauma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Patients with flail chest admitted between September 2009 and June 2010 to our level I trauma center who failed traditional management and underwent SRF were matched with an historical group. Outcome variables evaluated include age, injury severity score, intensive care unit length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, ventilator days, total number of rib fractures, and total number of segmental rib fractures.

RESULTS:

The 2 groups were similar in age, injury severity score, intensive care unit LOS, hospital LOS, total number of rib fractures, and total segmental rib fractures. The operative group demonstrated a significant reduction in total ventilator days as compared with the nonsurgical group (4.5 [0-30] vs 16.0 [4-40]; P = .040). Patients with SRF were permanently liberated from the ventilator within a median of 1.5 days (0-8 days).

CONCLUSIONS:

Surgical rib fixation resulted in a significant decrease in ventilator days and may represent a novel approach to decreasing morbidity in flail chest patients when used as a rescue therapy in patients with declining pulmonary status. Larger studies are required to further identify these benefits.

• Authors: Andrew R Doben, Evert A Eriksson, Chadrick E Denlinger, Stuart M Leon, Deborah J Couillard, Samir M Fakhry, Christian T Minshall
• Journal: Journal of critical care (J Crit Care) Vol. 29 Issue 1 Pg. 139-43 (Feb 2014) ISSN: 1557-8615 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24075300 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2013.

Topics

• Adult
• Age Factors
• Aged
• Female
• Flail Chest (surgery)
• Fracture Fixation, Internal (methods)
• Humans
• Injury Severity Score
• Intensive Care Units
• Length of Stay
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Respiration, Artificial (methods)
• Rib Fractures (surgery)
• Time Factors
• Trauma Centers
• Wounds, Nonpenetrating (surgery)