Diagnosis Of Fat Embolism Syndrome Research Articles

Diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome using point‐of‐care ultrasound

AbstractFat embolism (FES) is a condition that can lead to severe organ effects and death in patients with long bone fractures. Diagnosis is challenging due to multiple criteria. This case report presents the use of point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) in diagnosing right ventricular dysfunction associated with fat embolism syndrome. A 36‐year‐old patient with a history of obesity presented with multiple fractures and respiratory failure after a road accident. Bedside echocardiography showed evidence of dilated right chambers, right ventricular outflow tract shortened acceleration time, and mild tricuspid insufficiency. Venous ultrasonography showed microembolic signals (MES) interpreted as fat embolism. The patient was treated with fracture reduction and osteosynthesis, which showed improvement in right ventricular dysfunction and the disappearance of MES. FES is a clinical syndrome that occurs after an identifiable bone injury. This case highlights the utility of POCUS in the diagnosis of FES.

Fat Embolism Syndrome after Femoral Fracture Fixation due to Pedestrian Injury

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a rare but serious complication that primarily occurs in patients with long bone fractures. Herein, we report a case of sudden death due to FES, which was later confirmed by autopsy. The clinical course and pathological findings of the case are also presented. A 79-year-old male pedestrian was struck by a car while crossing a crosswalk, and due to the impact, he flew 4.5 meters away. He was admitted to the emergency room and diagnosed with an intertrochanteric fracture of the right femur. Upon admission, he had clear consciousness and normal vital signs. The patient died 27 hours after trauma during surgery for a right femur fracture. Histological examination revealed fat droplets in lung tissue. The diagnosis of FES was confirmed based on clinical and histological findings.

Devastating neurologic injury associated with fat embolism syndrome.

The diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome (FES) may present with a constellation of symptoms and continues to be a diagnosis of exclusion. Fat embolism syndrome is a poorly understood syndrome, which is typically associated with orthopedic trauma, most commonly with long bone fractures. Understanding the presentation of FES is essential to provide timely and appropriate interventions and to ensure optimal patient outcomes. The following is a case report of FES in a 39-year-old man following a motor vehicle collision in which he sustained a comminuted fracture of the right femur. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with FES using Gurd criteria in conjunction with frequent assessment of the patient's clinical picture, as well as exclusion of other differential diagnoses. Nurse practitioners and other providers should understand the constellation of symptoms that may be associated with FES to improve prevention and ensure timely intervention.

The diagnostics of fat embolism syndrome at multitrauma

Aim.To improve diagnostics of fat embolism syndrome in patients with multitrauma.Material and methods.The study included 250 patients with multitrauma at the age of 18 to 60 years that received treatment during 2014-2010. There were 174 (69.6%) men and 76 (30.4%) women. The patients were divided into two groups. The main group included 128 (51, 2%) patients with multitrauma, in whom the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of fat embolism syndrome were carried out using improved approaches. The control group of 122 (48, 8%) patients with multitrauma received a diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of fat embolism syndrome using traditional approaches.Results and methods.Comprehensive analysis of data with the formalization and standardization of data by comparing the frequency of symptoms in the group of patients with and without fat embolism syndrome helped to reveal integral criteria for the diagnosis of various clinical manifestations of this symptom-complex were identified. Based on the data obtained, a highly effective method for the diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome has been developed. In the main group, differentiated treatment of patients using the developed approaches contributed to an increase in the proportion of positive results (43.7%) and a decrease in unsatisfactory results (8.6%) and mortality (8.6%). In the control group, satisfactory (36.0%) and unsatisfactory results (15.6%), as well as lethal outcomes (16.4%), prevailed.Conclusion. The use of improved approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of fat embolism syndrome and the construction of treatment tactics on this basis are among the effective ways to improve the results of multitrauma.

Fat embolism Syndrome: Is it common in smokers

Introduction: Diagnosis of Fat Embolism Syndrome (FES) depends mainly on clinical features and there are no diagnostic laboratory tests available. In spite of so many advancements in the management of long bone fractures, management of FES is mainly supportive. Patients who are prone to develop FES are to be carefully screened as a part of pre-operative work up in order to prevent the complications later. There are very few studies which establish the risk factors associated with fat embolism. Materials and methods: 26 orthopaedic trauma patients who were diagnosed with fat embolism syndrome according to Gurd and Wilson criteria and Schonfeld’s FES index, and as per inclusion- exclusion criteria of the study were included. All demographic data, bone involved, type of fracture, timing and type of surgery was noted and data regarding their smoking status was taken into consideration. Observation: Out of 26 patients of FES, 25 were male and 1 was female. Mean age was 27.1 years. 11 were fractures of Femur and 15 were fractures of Tibia, 4 patients had multiple fractures. There were 5 cases of open fractures. Among the 26 patients who developed FES, 80.7% of them were cigarette smokers and all of them were male patients. Conclusion: It is our observation that among the patients who developed FES, 80.7% were cigarette smokers. Though this study does not establish a direct causal relationship between smoking and FES which requires further detailed analytical studies, there appears to be an association between FES and cigarette smoking. Hence, we conclude that smokers are prone to develop FES.

Ultrasonographic Findings in Fat Embolism Syndrome.

Case PresentationA 93-year-old man living in a nursing home presented to our emergency department with altered mental status. Examination revealed hypotension and severe hypoxia. Chest radiograph showed infiltrates in the right upper lobe, and computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a left femoral neck fracture. A point-of-care transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) revealed an enlarged right ventricle, severe tricuspid regurgitation, and numerous white floating dots moving toward the right atrium from the inferior vena cava (IVC), leading to the diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome (FES).DiscussionAlthough imaging studies can facilitate diagnosis, the diagnosis of FES is typically made by clinical history and presentation, making a swift diagnosis often difficult in those who are critically ill. Recent case reports have described that TTE can detect fat emboli, seen as flowing hyperechoic particles in IVC. This image demonstrates the utility of TTE to diagnose FES.

Fat Embolism Syndrome – A Qualitative Review of its Incidence, Presentation, Pathogenesis and Management

Fat Embolism Syndrome (FES) is a poorly defined clinical phenomenon which has been attributed to fat emboli entering the circulation. It is common, and its clinical presentation may be either subtle or dramatic and life threatening. This is a review of the history, causes, pathophysiology, presentation, diagnosis and management of FES. FES mostly occurs secondary to orthopaedic trauma; it is less frequently associated with other traumatic and atraumatic conditions. There is no single test for diagnosing FES. Diagnosis of FES is often missed due to its subclinical presentation and/or confounding injuries in more severely injured patients. FES is most frequently diagnosed using the Gurd and Wilson criteria, like its rivals it is not clinically validated. Although FES is a multi-system condition, its effects in the lung, brain, cardiovascular system and skin cause most morbidity. FES is mostly a self-limiting condition and treatment is supportive in nature. Many treatments have been trialled, most notably corticosteroids and heparin, however no validated treatment has been established.

Intensive Care Management of Complicated Case of Fat Embolism Secondary to Femur Fracture

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is an inflammatory cascade, affecting multi-organs, potentially leading to serious complications in orthopedic patients, especially after femur fractures. It includes hypoxia due to pulmonary dysfunction, neurological and psychiatric changes, fever, tachycardia, petechial hemorrhages, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. Due to advancement in intensive care and supportive management and surgical techniques, like intramedullary reaming, the incidence of fat embolism syndrome has become only 0.5 percent. This report presents case of a 22-year-old male with femur fracture due to road traffic accident, with diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome, wound infection, pneumonia and deep venous thrombosis which was managed successfully.

Fat embolism syndrome: Experience from an Australian trauma centre

Fat Embolism Syndrome (FES) is a rare condition where circulating fat emboli can lead to life threatening multisystem dysfunction. Diagnosis of FES occurs mainly by exclusion. The aim of this study was to describe the injury, event details, and factors associated with the diagnosis of FES following trauma presenting to a Level 1 Trauma Centre in Melbourne, Australia. Medical records of all patients with a complication of FES between 2006 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, injury factors, hospital event details, radiological procedures and length of stay were collected. Thirty six patients, with median age of 26 years (IQR 19, 42) and median Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 18.5 (IQR 10, 27) were diagnosed with FES. Other associated factors included male gender (86%) and having one or more long bone fractures (97%). Of the major FES diagnostic criteria, 94% of patients experienced hypoxia, 36% had mental status changes, whereas only 11% had petechiae. Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiogram (CTPA) was performed on 19 patients (53%) with all being negative for pulmonary embolus. Most demonstrated ground glass opacity (58%), and FES was reported as the likely cause of patient presentation in 53% of cases. FES following trauma was rare, with its diagnosis based on clinical factors including long bone fracture and hypoxia, and the exclusion of other respiratory diagnoses. CTPA was frequently used since 2008 and further research is warranted to determine if this radiological procedure can assist with more definitive diagnosis of FES.

Синдром жировой эмболии: выбор и эффективность методик лабораторной диагностики

The review on the use of traditional and new methods of laboratory diagnostics of fat embolism syndrome - a complication that in some cases asymptomatically accompanies severe concomitant trauma is presented. The main currently used laboratory diagnostic methods are described: traditional methods and new markers (interleukin-6, neuroglial protein S100B, surfactant protein SP-D). A review of the literature data in terms of assessing the pathogenetic and diagnostic significance of some methods of laboratory diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome, the relationship between the dynamics of the considered laboratory parameters, the clinical picture and inflammation. Own observation is presented. The results show the importance of integrating the whole range of available methods in the diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome.

Can IL-6 predict the development of fat embolism in polytrauma? A rabbit model pilot experimental study

BackgroundThere are few studies in the literature that correlates the level of IL-6 with fat embolism syndrome (FES). But there is no conclusive correlative evidence of its specific relation to the establishment of FES. Also it is a proven fact that polytrauma due to its associated multiple long bone fracture and/or associated shock can predispose an individual to FES. By hypothesizing that polytrauma induces Fat Embolism in the animal; it was considered worthwhile to study the association of IL-6 in polytrauma induced Fat Embolism (FE) and to compare it with induced FE by injecting fatty acids in rabbits. Materials and methodsAn animal study was conducted in 32 New Zealand white rabbits. The animals were divided into 3 groups: control, fat embolism and polytrauma group. We injected 6 ml of normal saline and 0.2 ml of linoleic acid in the control and fat embolism group respectively. In the polytauma group we created bilateral femur and tibial shaft factures which were stabilized with intramedullary K- wires. Blood was taken before and at 6, 12 and 24 h after the procedure to measure plasma IL-6 levels. The rabbits were euthanized at 24 h and lungs were removed and stained for fat globules. ResultsAll rabbits in the fat embolism group and around 72.22% rabbits in polytrauma group had fat embolism. The IL-6 levels were raised in all the groups reaching a peak at 6 h after procedure with a decline in the values at 12 h for polytrauma and fat embolism group. IL-6 in the control group was stationary after an initial raise at 6 h. There was no statistically significant difference seen among the groups (p value > 0.05) at 6 h. ConclusionIL-6 is not a specific marker to fat embolism per se or polytrauma who later develop complications like FES. Even though the recent literature says that IL-6 is an early marker of fat embolism, still the diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome is clinical only and can be supplemented by laboratory markers. None of the laboratory markers individually is good enough to predict the development of FES in an individual.

Fat Embolism, Fat Embolism Syndrome and the Autopsy.

Fat embolism is common following trauma and is a common autopsy finding in these cases. It may also be seen in non-traumatic cases and is seen in children as well as adults. In comparison fat embolism syndrome (FES) only occurs in a small number of trauma and non-trauma cases. Clinical diagnosis is based on characteristic clinical and laboratory findings. Fat embolism exerts its effect by mechanical blockage of vessels and/or by biochemical means including breakdown of fat to free fatty acids causing an inflammatory response. Fat embolism can be identified at autopsy on microscopy of the lungs using fat stains conducted on frozen tissue, including on formalin fixed but not processed tissue. With FES fat emboli can be seen in other organs including the brain, kidney and myocardium. Fat can also be identified with post-fixation staining, typically with osmium tetroxide. Scoring systems have been developed to try and determine the severity of fat embolism in lung tissue. Fat embolism is also common following resuscitation. When no resuscitation has taken place, the presence of fat on lung histology has been used as proof of vitality. Diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome at autopsy requires analysis of the history, clinical and laboratory findings along with autopsy investigations to determine its relevance, but is an important diagnosis to make which is not always identified clinically. This paper reviews the history, clinical and laboratory findings and diagnosis of fat embolism and fat embolism syndrome at autopsy.

Death due to a rare posttraumatic complication: fat embolism

Fat embolism is a rare complication of high or medium intensity trauma. It is caused by the formation of fat particles in the territories of small terminal circulation, especially at pulmonary, tegumentary and cerebral levels. The mechanism underlying the fat embolism is described by several different theories in literature. In legal medicine, fat embolism raises many controversies upon the diagnostic certainty of the thanatogenerator mechanism leading to death. The occurrence of fat embolism syndrome followed by death must be properly explained so that the fatality can be adequately framed from a legal point of view. In this paper the authors present three cases in which victims of trauma died due to clinically undiagnosed fat embolism, the diagnosis being established only by postmortem histopathological examination. The authors underline the fact that the diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome, although it is a clinical one, it is often established only during autopsy.

Incidence of Seizures in Fat Embolism Syndrome Over a 10-Year Period: Analysis of the National Inpatient Sample Database.

Data regarding the incidence of seizures in patients diagnosed with fat embolism syndrome (FES) are lacking. We examined the incidence of seizures in patients with FES, and the impact of seizures on outcomes over a 10-year period. Using the National Inpatient Sample data set we identified adults (age 18 y old or above) with a diagnosis of FES (ICD-9 958.1) between 2005 and 2014, and categorized them according to the presence or absence of seizures. We excluded patients with a history of epilepsy or traumatic brain injury RESULTS:: Of the 66,227,531 discharges, we identified 1888 patients (0.003%) with FES of which 53% were male and mean age of 56 (±57.45). Seizure or epilepsy rate in patients with FES was 2.86% (1.69% with seizures and 1.16% with epilepsy), as compared with 3.6% in all hospitalized patients without FES. The Charlson Comorbidity Index for all FES patients was 2.38 (±5.28) and was similar for those with and without seizures. Hospital length of stay was higher in patients with FES and seizures versus those without seizures (14.59 vs. 10.82 d, P=0.09). No statistically significant difference in mortality was observed between the 2 groups. The rate of seizure and epilepsy in patients with FES is low when compared with rates in all hospitalized patients or in patients with other causes of acute neurological injury such as intracerebral hemorrhage, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury. Further studies are needed to provide recommendations for antiepileptic medication use in FES.

Fat embolism in right internal jugular vein: incidental ultrasound finding during internal jugular vein cannulation

BackgroundWe report a case study of fat embolism seen on ultrasound at right internal jugular vein during central venous cannulation in a patient diagnosed with fat embolism syndrome. This case demonstrates the importance of ultrasound for evaluation of trauma cases with suspicion of fat embolism.Case presentationA 23-year-old trauma patient with closed fracture of left femoral shaft and left humerus presented to our emergency department (ED). 11 h after admission to ED, patient became confused, hypoxic and hypotensive. He was then intubated for respiratory failure and mechanically ventilated. Transesophageal ultrasound revealed hyperdynamic heart, dilated right ventricle with no regional wall abnormalities and no major aorta injuries. Whole-body computed tomography was normal. During central venous cannulation of right internal jugular vein (IJV), we found free floating mobile hyperechoic spots, located at the anterior part of the vein. A diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome later was made based on the clinical presentation of long bone fractures and fat globulin in the blood. Despite aggressive fluid resuscitation, patient was a non-responder and needed vasopressor infusion for persistent shock. Blood aspirated during cannulation from the IJV revealed a fat globule. Patient underwent uneventful orthopedic procedures and was discharged well on day 5 of admission.ConclusionsPoint-of-care ultrasound findings of fat embolism in central vein can facilitate and increase the suspicion of fat embolism syndrome.

Fat Embolism Syndrome Treated with Methylprednisolone: A Different Perception or a Misconception?

Fat embolism syndrome is manifested by the fat globule systemic presence involved in a motor vehicle in the pulmonary and circulation. A 34-year-old man was accident with afracture of the left femur and avulsion fracture of the left posterior cruciate ligaments. He developed signs and symptoms that suggested an early diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome. Intravenous methylprednisolone administration was administered as part of the treatment. The role of methylprednisolone in a patient with fat embolism syndrome is controversial due to unproven effectiveness. In this case, fat embolism syndrome after a femur fracture was treated successfully with methylprednisolone.Keywords: fat embolism syndrome, methylprednisolone, femur fracture.

Síndrome de embolia grasa tras fractura abierta de calcáneo por arma de fuego

El síndrome de embolia grasa es una complicación asociada usualmente a fracturas de huesos largos, fracturas de pelvis o procedimientos ortopédicos. Presentamos el caso inusual de un paciente de 24 años con diagnóstico de síndrome de embolia grasa tras presentar fractura abierta de calcáneo por arma de fuego de alta energía.

Fat Embolism Syndrome: Case Report

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a systemic inflammatory cascade affecting multiple organ systems occurring after trauma, orthopedic procedures and rarely in non-traumatic patients causing high morbidity and mortality. Fat emboli develop in many patients with bone fractures (incidence of this problem can be up to 90% in patients who have sustained major injuries), but are usually asymptomatic. A minority of patients develop signs and symptoms of organ system dysfunction due to mechanical obstruction of capillaries by fat emboli or due to fat hydrolyzing to fatty acids. A triad of lung, brain and skin involvement develops after 24 - 72 hours of asymptomatic period. This symptom complex is known as FES. Fat embolism is diagnosed clinically with non-specific and insensitive diagnostic tests. Treatment of FES is supportive and in most cases can be prevented by early fixation of large bone fractures. Here we report a case of traumatic fat embolism, treated successfully with supportive management. Diagnosis of FES needs high index of suspicion and use of clinical criteria along with imaging. J Neurol Res. 2016;6(5-6):114-117 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jnr405w

Fat Embolism Syndrome: Case Report

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is a systemic inflammatory cascade affecting multiple organ systems occurring after trauma, orthopedic procedures and rarely in non-traumatic patients causing high morbidity and mortality. Fat emboli develop in many patients with bone fractures (incidence of this problem can be up to 90% in patients who have sustained major injuries), but are usually asymptomatic. A minority of patients develop signs and symptoms of organ system dysfunction due to mechanical obstruction of capillaries by fat emboli or due to fat hydrolyzing to fatty acids. A triad of lung, brain and skin involvement develops after 24 - 72 hours of asymptomatic period. This symptom complex is known as FES. Fat embolism is diagnosed clinically with non-specific and insensitive diagnostic tests. Treatment of FES is supportive and in most cases can be prevented by early fixation of large bone fractures. Here we report a case of traumatic fat embolism, treated successfully with supportive management. Diagnosis of FES needs high index of suspicion and use of clinical criteria along with imaging. J Neurol Res. 2016;6(5-6):114-117 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jnr405w

G.P.169: Non-fatal fat embolism syndrome in Duchene muscular dystrophy

Fat Embolism Syndrome (FES) is associated with multisystem dysfunction. It has a wide spectrum of presentation and severity. Our first report of FES in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), onset soon after injury was associated with an early and rapid death. Since then, we have reviewed 6 boys with DMD who developed FES and survived. The boys were between 13 and 19years (mean 16.3), taking Deflazacort and were obese. All 6 boys had osteoporosis, straight spines, and good cardiac and pulmonary function. All 6 boys had a history of trauma: 4 falls (1 walking, 1 ceiling tract transfer and 2 from wheelchair seatbelt unfastened), 1 forward flexion injury at the beach and 1 arm trauma during transfer. Long-bone fractures occurred in 3 boys: 2 femoral and 1 radial. Using Gurd's clinical criteria for FES, all 6 boys had 2 major FES criteria. All had CNS signs/symptoms, 5 of 6 had respiratory symptoms and the 6th had petechiae. All 6 boys had at least 2 minor criteria. All had tachycardia and 1 or more of retinal changes, thrombocytopenia, anemia and fever. The time between the trauma and onset of symptoms ranged from 30min to 24h (mean 11.5h). On discharge, 5 of 6 boys had normal CNS function. Cardio-pulmonary function returned to baseline by 6 mos. The sixth boy had severe neurologic sequelae. He requires g-tube feeds, is fully dependent for care and does not speak. FES may be more common than previously recognized. In 5 of 6 cases reported here, the onset of symptoms was delayed compared to our previously reported cases with a fatal outcome. It is important for physicians and families to consider a diagnosis of FES when a boy with DMD presents with acute symptoms following trauma. All boys required early and intensive respiratory and cardiac support. Since all the injuries were accidental, education for accident prevention is critical.