TY - JOUR
T1 - Hyperacute cerebral fat embolism in a patient with femoral shaft fracture
AU - Chen, Po Chuan
AU - Hsu, Chin Wang
AU - Liao, Wen I.
AU - Chen, Yu Long
AU - Ho, Cheng Hsuan
AU - Tsai, Shih Hung
PY - 2013/9
Y1 - 2013/9
N2 - Fat embolism syndrome is a potentially fatal complication and occurs most commonly after long bone fracture. In patients who sustained severe trauma, both cerebral fat embolism(CFE) and diffuse axonal injury (DAI) could be the cause of altered consciousness in the absence of marked intracranial lesions in cranial computed tomography. However, distinguishing CFE and DAI can be difficult clinically. Generally, DAI develops immediately after the insult, whereas CFE occurs 48 to 72 hours after the trauma and even after internal fixation for the fractures. Fat embolism syndrome develops within an average of 48.5 hours after long bone fracture [1] but has never been reported to occur in less than 2 hours. Here, we present a patient who developed hyperacute CFE and eventually had poor neurological outcome, in contrast to previous reports stating that CFE usually has a long latent period and favorable outcomes.
AB - Fat embolism syndrome is a potentially fatal complication and occurs most commonly after long bone fracture. In patients who sustained severe trauma, both cerebral fat embolism(CFE) and diffuse axonal injury (DAI) could be the cause of altered consciousness in the absence of marked intracranial lesions in cranial computed tomography. However, distinguishing CFE and DAI can be difficult clinically. Generally, DAI develops immediately after the insult, whereas CFE occurs 48 to 72 hours after the trauma and even after internal fixation for the fractures. Fat embolism syndrome develops within an average of 48.5 hours after long bone fracture [1] but has never been reported to occur in less than 2 hours. Here, we present a patient who developed hyperacute CFE and eventually had poor neurological outcome, in contrast to previous reports stating that CFE usually has a long latent period and favorable outcomes.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ajem.2013.05.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ajem.2013.05.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 23759683
AN - SCOPUS:84883789280
SN - 0735-6757
VL - 31
JO - American Journal of Emergency Medicine
JF - American Journal of Emergency Medicine
IS - 9
ER -