Abstract

SIERRA-VARGAS, Elsy Cristina  and  GOMEZ-ROSERO, Jaime Alberto. The challenge of fat embolism syndrome diagnosis. CES Med. [online]. 2021, vol.35, n.2, pp.175-184.  Epub Feb 10, 2022. ISSN 0120-8705.  https://doi.org/10.21615/cesmedicina.6014.

Fat embolism syndrome is an unusual complication of orthopedic trauma. The clinical manifestations are non-specific and there is no gold standard diagnostic test, so a high index of suspicion is required. Four patients are described who after presenting long bone fracture were complicated with fat embolism syndrome. The common manifestation in all of them was hypoxemia. The most frequent findings in chest tomography were ground-glass opacities, involvement of the right lung and lower lobes, and laminar pleural effusion. The clinical evolution was satisfactory in three patients; the fourth had extensive pulmonary involvement, required invasive mechanical ventilation and had a prolonged hospitalization. None of the patients died or had sequelae. This is the first case series in Colombia showing the clinical and imaging behavior of patients with fat embolism síndrome.

Keywords : Fat embolism; Fat embolism syndrome; Hypoxia; Multiple trauma.

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