Rib fixation versus non-operative treatment for flail chest and multiple rib fractures after blunt thoracic trauma: a multicenter cohort study.


Journal

European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society
ISSN: 1863-9941
Titre abrégé: Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg
Pays: Germany
ID NLM: 101313350

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
Aug 2019
Historique:
received: 22 08 2018
accepted: 12 10 2018
pubmed: 21 10 2018
medline: 6 2 2020
entrez: 21 10 2018
Statut: ppublish

Résumé

Over the years, a trend has evolved towards operative treatment of flail chest although evidence is limited. Furthermore, little is known about operative treatment for patients with multiple rib fractures without a flail chest. The aim of this study was to compare rib fixation based on a clinical treatment algorithm with nonoperative treatment for both patients with a flail chest or multiple rib fractures. All patients with ≥ 3 rib fractures admitted to one of the two contributing hospitals between January 2014 and January 2017 were retrospectively included in this multicenter cohort study. One hospital treated all patients nonoperatively and the other hospital treated patients with rib fixation according to a clinical treatment algorithm. Primary outcome measures were intensive care length of stay and hospital length of stay for patients with a flail chest and patients with multiple rib fractures, respectively. To control for potential confounding, propensity score matching was applied. A total of 332 patients were treated according to protocol and available for analysis. The mean age was 56 (SD 17) years old and 257 (77%) patients were male. The overall mean Injury Severity Score was 23 (SD 11) and the average number of rib fractures was 8 (SD 4). There were 92 patients with a flail chest, 37 (40%) had rib fixation and 55 (60%) had non-operative treatment. There were 240 patients with multiple rib fractures, 28 (12%) had rib fixation and 212 (88%) had non-operative treatment. For both patient groups, after propensity score matching, rib fixation was not associated with intensive care unit length of stay (for flail chest patients) nor with hospital length of stay (for multiple rib fracture patients), nor with the secondary outcome measures. No advantage could be demonstrated for operative fixation of rib fractures. Future studies are needed before rib fixation is embedded or abandoned in clinical practice.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
Over the years, a trend has evolved towards operative treatment of flail chest although evidence is limited. Furthermore, little is known about operative treatment for patients with multiple rib fractures without a flail chest. The aim of this study was to compare rib fixation based on a clinical treatment algorithm with nonoperative treatment for both patients with a flail chest or multiple rib fractures.
METHODS METHODS
All patients with ≥ 3 rib fractures admitted to one of the two contributing hospitals between January 2014 and January 2017 were retrospectively included in this multicenter cohort study. One hospital treated all patients nonoperatively and the other hospital treated patients with rib fixation according to a clinical treatment algorithm. Primary outcome measures were intensive care length of stay and hospital length of stay for patients with a flail chest and patients with multiple rib fractures, respectively. To control for potential confounding, propensity score matching was applied.
RESULTS RESULTS
A total of 332 patients were treated according to protocol and available for analysis. The mean age was 56 (SD 17) years old and 257 (77%) patients were male. The overall mean Injury Severity Score was 23 (SD 11) and the average number of rib fractures was 8 (SD 4). There were 92 patients with a flail chest, 37 (40%) had rib fixation and 55 (60%) had non-operative treatment. There were 240 patients with multiple rib fractures, 28 (12%) had rib fixation and 212 (88%) had non-operative treatment. For both patient groups, after propensity score matching, rib fixation was not associated with intensive care unit length of stay (for flail chest patients) nor with hospital length of stay (for multiple rib fracture patients), nor with the secondary outcome measures.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
No advantage could be demonstrated for operative fixation of rib fractures. Future studies are needed before rib fixation is embedded or abandoned in clinical practice.

Identifiants

pubmed: 30341561
doi: 10.1007/s00068-018-1037-1
pii: 10.1007/s00068-018-1037-1
pmc: PMC6689036
doi:

Types de publication

Comparative Study Journal Article Multicenter Study

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Pagination

655-663

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Auteurs

Reinier B Beks (RB)

Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands. reinierbeks@gmail.com.
Utrecht Traumacenter, Utrecht, The Netherlands. reinierbeks@gmail.com.

David Reetz (D)

Department of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Mirjam B de Jong (MB)

Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Rolf H H Groenwold (RHH)

Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Falco Hietbrink (F)

Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Michael J R Edwards (MJR)

Department of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Luke P H Leenen (LPH)

Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Roderick Marijn Houwert (RM)

Department of Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Utrecht Traumacenter, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Jan Paul M Frölke (JPM)

Department of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

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Classifications MeSH