National Changes in Timing and Rates of Surgical Stabilization of Rib Fractures (SSRF): SSRF Occurring Early and More...

Area of Science:

• Trauma Surgery
• Thoracic Surgery
• Critical Care Medicine

Background:

• Surgical stabilization of rib fractures (SSRF) is increasingly considered for blunt chest trauma (BCT).
• Understanding temporal trends in SSRF is crucial for optimizing patient care.
• This study focuses on isolated BCT to isolate the effects of SSRF.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate temporal trends in the rates and timing of SSRF in patients with isolated BCT.
• To test the hypothesis of increased rates of early and overall SSRF.
• To analyze changes in patient demographics and length of stay associated with SSRF.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 2017-2023 Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) database.
• Identified patients with ≥2 rib fractures and an abbreviated injury scale <2 in non-chest regions.
• Stratified SSRF timing into early (≤72h), intermediate (>72-≤120h), and late (>120h) categories.

Main Results:

• A nearly 60% relative national increase in SSRF was observed from 2017 to 2023 (3.5% to 5.5%).
• The median age of patients undergoing SSRF increased from 58 to 61 years.
• Early and intermediate SSRF rates increased significantly, while late SSRF remained stable; median length of stay decreased.

Conclusions:

• SSRF rates for isolated BCT have significantly increased nationally between 2017 and 2023.
• This increase is driven by a rise in early and intermediate SSRF procedures.
• The trend aligns with guidelines and is associated with an older patient cohort and reduced length of stay.