It was determined that although
flail chest incidence is the lowest, it has the highest mortality rate.
Addition of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery to the treatment of
flail chest. Ann Thorac Surg 2017;103:940-4.
Just under a decade ago in 2009 a survey undertaken among trauma surgeons, orthopaedic surgeons, and thoracic surgeons (17) found that most of these professionals believed that nonoperative management was sufficient for
flail chest. Since then that attitude seems to have changed towards a more operative approach and this has been supported by a number of RCTs.
Reinforcement with rigid prosthesis such as methyl methacrylate or metallic plates are required to avoid anterior
flail chest and protect mediastinal organs.
Chest surgical stabilization is only indicated when the patient requires a thoracotomy for other reasons or has massive
flail chest that might not be solved with mechanical ventilation [19].
He said Mr Ebbrell suffered a compound fracture to his right elbow, fractured pelvis and multiple fractures to his ribs, described as an "unstable
flail chest".
"Let's needle him," Swartz said, after assessing a patient with a "
flail chest," or multiple rib fractures, and trouble breathing.
A
flail chest occurs when three or more adjacent segmental rib fractures or five or more contiguous single fractures are present.
Extrapulmonary thoracic disease such as
flail chest or severe kyphoscoliosis.
The trauma of the
flail chest quickly pushed her into respiratory distress and then respiratory failure.
A comparative study of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and intermittent pressure ventilation (IPPV) in patients with
flail chest. Emerg Med J 2005; 22: 325-329.
Clinical signs of thoracic aortic injury include evidence of external thoracic trauma, sternal fracture, hypotension, diminished or absent femoral pulses, upper extremity hypertension and
flail chest. Because the physical exam and chest radiograph often are normal or nondiagnostic, the mechanism of injury should drive clinical suspicion and trigger emergent aortography.