Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

'Low-dose' corticosteroid prophylaxis against fat embolism.

J Kallenbach1, M Lewis, M Zaltzman

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Journal of Trauma
|October 1, 1987
PubMed
Summary

Low-dose methylprednisolone significantly reduced fat embolism syndrome and hypoxemia after skeletal trauma. Further research is needed to confirm the safety of this corticosteroid treatment in trauma patients.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Comprehensive Observations of Magnetospheric Particle Acceleration, Sources, and Sinks (COMPASS): A Mission Concept to Explore the Extremes of Jupiter's Magnetosphere.

Space science reviews·2026
Same author

Severe Community-Acquired Pneumonia: Impact of HIV on Clinical Presentation, Microbiological and Laboratory Findings, and Outcome.

Journal of intensive care medicine·2025
Same author

Serum chitotriosidase activity in South African patients with sarcoidosis and tuberculosis.

African journal of thoracic and critical care medicine·2025
Same author

Vaccines in the fight against antimicrobial resistance - perspectives from South Africa.

South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde·2024
Same author

Pro-inflammatory interactions of streptolysin O toxin with human neutrophils <i>in vitro</i>.

Journal of immunotoxicology·2024
Same author

Non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: A single-centre retrospective study in Johannesburg, South Africa.

African journal of thoracic and critical care medicine·2024

Area of Science:

  • Trauma Surgery
  • Pharmacology
  • Pulmonary Medicine

Background:

  • Skeletal trauma can lead to serious complications like fat embolism syndrome (FES) and hypoxemia.
  • Corticosteroids are sometimes used to manage inflammatory responses, but their role in preventing post-traumatic complications is debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of low-dose methylprednisolone in preventing FES and arterial hypoxemia following skeletal trauma.
  • To assess the incidence and severity of these complications in steroid-treated versus control groups.

Main Methods:

  • A study involving 82 patients with skeletal trauma, divided into a control group (42 subjects) and a steroid-treated group (40 subjects).
  • Subjects received either a placebo or low-dose methylprednisolone (9 mg/kg) post-trauma.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Incidence and severity of FES and hypoxemia (PaO2 < 50 mm Hg) were monitored.

    • Main Results:

    • Fat embolism occurred in 23.8% of controls versus 2.5% of steroid-treated subjects (p=0.01).
    • Severe hypoxemia (PaO2 < 50 mm Hg) was observed in 21.9% of controls compared to 2.6% of steroid-treated subjects (p=0.01).
    • Overall hypoxemia incidence was lower in the steroid group (55%) than controls (78.6%, p<0.05).

    Conclusions:

    • Low-dose methylprednisolone demonstrates a protective effect against FES and pulmonary dysfunction post-skeletal trauma.
    • While effective, the overall safety profile of this corticosteroid therapy warrants further investigation due to a reported fatality from infection in the steroid group.