Retrospective analysis of patients with sternal fracture
Sule Yakar1
, Necmi Baykan2, Ömer Önal3, Polat Durukan4
1Department of Emergency, Ünye State Hospital, Ordu, Turkey
2Department of Emergency, Nevsehir State Hospital, Nevsehir, Turkey
3Department of Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
4Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey
Keywords: Fracture, sternum, thorax
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Sternal fractures (SFs) are rare pathologies that mainly occur as a result of traffic accidents, which can cause mortality due to concomitant complications. In this study, we aimed to evaluate clinical processes and termination status of patients diagnosed with a SF in the emergency department.
METHODOLOGY: Patients diagnosed with a SF in the emergency department during 8 years were retrospectively reviewed. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were recorded, and standard data forms were created.
RESULTS: In total, 128 patients were included in the study; 81 (63.3%) patients were male, and the mean age was 49.4 years. When the fracture mechanism was examined, car traffic accidents were the most common type and the cause of fracture in 85 (66.4%) patients. The most common thoracic pathology accompanying SFs was rib fractures (35.9%), and the most common extrathoracic pathology was cranial pathology (27.3%). Pericardial effusion was detected in 12 (9.4%) patients. Of the participating patients, one died and the others were hospitalized.
CONCLUSION: Since SFs and associated complications can be life-threatening, emergency room physicians should consider it in the diagnosis. In particular, the necessary examinations and follow-up should be done to assess cardiac damage.
How to cite this article: Yakar S, Baykan N, Önal &, Durukan P. Retrospective analysis of patients with sternal fracture. Turk J Emerg Med 2021;21:20-3
Presentation(s) or awards at a meeting: International Critical Care and Emergency Medicine Congress as a poster, in May 2017, in Antalya.
Erciyes University noninvasive clinical research ethics committee approval number is 2017/59. Date: 03.02.2017.
Conceived and designed the experiments; ÖÖ and PD. Performed the experiments; NB. Analyzed and interpreted the data; ŞY and NB. Contributed reagents, materials, analysis tools, or data; ŞY and NB. Wrote the paper; ŞY.
None declared.
None declared.