[Clinical impact of rib fractures in single and multiple trauma]

In a retrospective study we evaluated the data regarding 126 patients (96 male/30 female) hospitalized with rib fractures between 1986 and 1989. Fifty percent of the subjects had been in a traffic accident. Eighty-five percent of the patients had 2-7 broken ribs. Sixty-two patients suffered from multiple injuries, 40% were men aged less than 40 years. Fifty-six patients were treated by pleural drainage either for hemato- and/or pneumothorax or to prevent intrapleural tension during surgical intervention under endotracheal anesthesia. Thirty-two patients underwent mechanical ventilation for between 1 and 52 days (mean 10 days). In five cases a flail chest was stabilized by ribosteosynthesis to avoid prolonged artificial ventilation. Pain relief by continuous peridural Carbostesin (bupivacaine) administration was given to 31 patients. There was a positive correlation between the incidence of pneumo- and hematothorax and the number of broken ribs. A significant association was found between multiple-injured patients died in hospital; six of them had multiple injuries. The recovery of 44 patients was interrupted by complications, predominantly of pulmonary origin (68%). The pattern and severity of concomitant injuries and interference of complications influenced the length of the hospital stay; pulmonary complications doubled it.