Fat embolism syndrome: improved diagnosis through the use of bedside echocardiography

Abstract

Echocardiography Douglas T. Summerfield, MD Kelly Cawcutt, MD Robert Van Demark, MD Matthew J. Ritter, MD Departments of Anesthesia and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN Case Report A 77 year old female with a past medical history of dementia, chronic atrial fibrillation requiring anticoagulation, hypertension, biventricular congestive heart failure with a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction, pulmonary hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presented to the emergency room after she sustained a ground level fall while sitting in a chair. The patient reportedly fell asleep while sitting at the kitchen table, and subsequently fell to her right side. According to witnesses, she did not strike her head, and there was no observed loss of consciousness. As part of her initial evaluation, at an outside hospital, radiographs of the pelvis, hip, and knee were obtained. These identified a definitive right superior pubic ramus fracture with inferior displacement and a questionable fracture of the right femoral neck. Shortly thereafter, the patient was transferred to our hospital for further management. On exam, the patient had a painful right hip limiting active motion and her right lower extremity was neurovascularly intact without paresthesias or dysesthesias. The remainder of the exam was unremarkable. In the emergency room, a repeat radiograph showed no evidence of a right femur fracture. Later in the evening a CT scan of the pelvis with intravenous contrast showed acute fractures through the right superior and inferior pubic rami with associated hematoma. Multiple tiny bony fragments were noted adjacent to the superior pubic ramus fracture (Figure 1).