Is clavicular fracture associated with concomitant injuries in multi-trauma patients?

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between clavicular fracture and associated injuries in multi-traumatic patients. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 185 multi-traumatic patients referred to the Emergency Department of Imam Reza (AS) Hospital of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences were selected between August 2019 and September 2021. The census sampling method was used until the required sample size was achieved. The following patient information was recorded and studied: mechanism of trauma, age, gender, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score, systolic blood pressure (SBP), the presence of clavicular fracture, concomitant injuries, hospital outcome, duration of hospitalization, and severity of trauma. The participants were divided into two groups based on the presence of a clavicular fracture. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Of all 185 patients, 51 had clavicular fractures. The mean age of the patients was 34.72±12.99. Of all patients, 27.6% had clavicular fractures. There was no statistically significant difference in GCS scores between the two groups (P=0.927). The highest percentage of injuries associated with clavicular traumas was traumatic brain injuries, with rates of 22.4% and 19.6% in the study and control groups, respectively. There were statistically significant differences in concomitant injuries between the two groups (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant relationship between clavicular fracture and the patient’s outcome (P=0.10), nor between clavicular fracture and GAP (GCS, age, SBP) (P=0.143) or New Trauma Score (NTS) (P=0.257). Conclusion: The results showed a difference in the associated injuries between the groups; however, there was no statistically significant difference in patient outcomes. Healthcare providers are suggested to consider concomitant injuries in patients with clavicular fractures.