Evaluation of the One-year Outcome in Chest Trauma Patients with Rib Fracture

Introduction In cases of chest trauma, rib fractures are a frequently occurring injury, with a prevalence of 60-80%. As such, our study aimed to investigate the one-year prognosis for patients who have experienced chest trauma accompanied by rib fractures. Methods This study was cross-sectional. Seven hundred (700) patients with chest trauma and rib fracture were examined in terms of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Demographic data of patients, including age, gender, trauma mechanism (falling, car accident, motorcycle crash, and fight), and traumatic location (division into three anterior and posterior, and lateral positions) were recorded. The number of broken ribs, the presence of a flail chest, and some fractures of ribs were recorded. Complications created for patients included hemothorax, pneumothorax, hemopneumothorax, and pulmonary contusion based on chest CT scan and radiologist interpretation. The duration of hospital stay and admission to the intensive care unit were recorded. SPSS software version 22 was used to analyze the data. Results One-year mortality rate was 6.3%. Two hundred and two (202) patients (28.9%) had hemothorax, 115 patients (16.4%) with pneumothorax, 30 patients (4.3%) with hemopneumothorax, and 55 patients (7.9%) had a pulmonary contusion. The mean age of patients, duration of hospitalization, number of broken ribs, and injury severity score (AIS), criteria for dead patients were significantly higher than those who survived ( p <0.05). The frequency of hemopneumothorax, flail chest, and hospitalization in the intensive care unit in dead patients was significantly higher than in survivors ( p <0.05). Discussion According to the findings of this research, mortality rates in patients with chest blunt trauma and rib fractures are elevated in cases where the patient is of advanced age, experiences hemopneumothorax, sustains multiple rib fractures, has a higher AIS, endures a longer hospital stay, requires admission to the intensive care unit, and presents with a flail chest.