Titre du document / Document title

Isolated sternal fracture: A benign condition?

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

BAR Ilan ; FRIEDMAN Tal ; RUDIS Ehud ; SHARGAL Yaron ; FRIEDMAN Mony ; ELAMI Amir ;

Résumé / Abstract

Background: Fractures of the sternum may be associated with major Injuries to thoacic organs, with serious consequences. Objective: To assess the hospital course of patients diagnosed with Isolated sternal fracture. Methods; We reviewed 55 medical records of patients who were admitted with Isolated sternal fracture to the emergency department during the period January 1990through August 1999. Results: Fifty-one patients were involved in motor vehicle accidents, and 4 sustained the injury as the result of a fall. Lateral chest X-ray upon admission was diagnostic in the majority of these patients n =53), Electrocardiography(n=52)was abnormal in four patients old myocardialinfarction(n=1),non=specificST-T changes (n=3).Cardiac enzymes (creatine-kinase-MB, n=42) were pathologically elevated in five patients. Echocardiography, performed in patients with ECG abnormalities and/or elevated myocardial enzymes (n =7), was normal in these patients as well as in another 18 patients. There were no intensive care unit admissions or arrhythmias during the hospital stay, which ranged from 6 hours to 6 days (mean 2.3 ′ 1.3 .3 days, median 2 days). Conclusion:ourendings support the view that patients with isolated sternal fracture and no abnormality in ECG and cardiac enzymes during the early hours after injury are expected to have a benign course and can be discharged home from the emergency room within the first 24 hours.

Revue / Journal Title

IMAJ   ISSN 1565-1088 

Source / Source

2003, vol. 5, n^o2, pp. 105-106 [2 page(s) (article)]

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Israel Medical Association, Ramat Gan, ISRAEL  (1999) (Revue)

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 27280, 35400010946342.0070