Fat Embolism Syndrome: A Rare Case Report

Abstract

Background: Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a life-threatening complication in patients with orthopedic trauma, especially long bone fractures. The diagnosis of fat embolism is made by clinical features alone with no specific laboratory findings. FES has no specific treatment and requires supportive care, although it can be prevented by early fixation of bone fractures. Here, we report a case of FES in a patient with a right closed femoral fractrure severe comminutive, which was diagnosed initially by Gurd’s criteria and subsequently confirmed by typical appearances on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the brain. The most important for fat embolism syndrome management is divided two-fold: preventative and supportive. Patient: A 43-year-old male fell from a high-rise building approximately 3 days before admission. A deformity was observed on the right thigh and the patient felt intense pain. After a few hours, the patient became weak and experienced a loss of consciousness. He was diagnosed with Fat Embolism Syndrome (FES) by using Gurd’s criteria. The diagnosis was confirmed after excluding other diagnoses with similar clinical presentation.