Fat Embolisms in Lower Organ Fractured Patients Referred to Taleghani Hospital of Kermanshah (2003-4)

Introduction: Fat embolism is a rare but serious consequence of fracture which is also potentially fatal.  It is caused by the occlusion of blood vessels by fat globules in the brain and lungs, causing bleeding into the alveoli and the disruption of oxygen transfer. Clinical manifestations are: respiratory failure, loss of consciousness, fever, tachycardia and petchiae, all following the fracture of a lower organ.  Appropriate care can reduce its incidence through fixing of the organ and the administration of oxygen, electrolytes, rehydration and suitable analgesics. The objective of this research was to study the lower organ fractured patients (LOFPs) referred to the Talaghani Hospital of Kermanshah during 2003-4.

Materials and methods: This descriptive study examined 627 LOFPs injured during the mentioned period. 13 of these patients also suffered from fat embolism and were thus selected and studied with respect to the location of the fracture and clinical symptoms. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, separating out thigh and foreleg fractures.

Results: Out of 13 subjects, 46% suffered from thigh fractures, 30.7% from foreleg fractures and 13.3% suffered from fractures in both locations. Respiratory failure, loss of consciousness, fever and disorders of blood artery gases were reported in 84.6%, 53.8%, and 22.3% respectively. 62.2% of fractures leading to embolism were caused by car accidents.

Conclusion: The incidence of fat embolisms was higher in LOFPs referred to the Taleghani Hospital of Kermanshah than in other places. The conspicuous clinical symptoms observed in this study were the same as those cited in the previous studies and thus comparable.  It is recommended that care providers take great care to prevent fat embolisms following the fractures of lower organs.