Pathologie fracturaire post-traumatique et embolie graissuse [a propos de 40 cas]

ABSTRACT

Our study is concerned with 40 cases of fat embolism syndrome. [From January 1990 to July 1994]. The diagnosis was based on the osseous notion, a free interval and at least two major criteria All the patients were males, aged from 5 to 75 [the age average was 34]. The most frequent fractures concerned the femur and the tibia. Neurologic disorders were constant. 60% of the patients presented the respiratory and cutaneo-mucous signs. In the first 24 hours, 60% of our patients benefited from an orthopedic treatment. The treatments was symptomatic and essentially based on the respiratory take-up Eleven patients died. The recurrence has been noticed in one case 48 hours after a surgical treatment. Diagnostically, speaking, the fat embolism syndrome has lately benefited from the imaging by magnetic resonance. However, as concerns therapy, and because of the still unknown physiopathology of the fat embolism syndrome, the take-up of the long osseous fractures is based on three parameters - The prevention by early surgical treatment, - The clinical, radiologie and gazometrie supervision, and. - The respiratory take-up, essentially after the appearance of the fat embolism syndrome signs