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HOME > J Trauma Inj > Volume 30(3); 2017 > Article
Fat Embolism Syndrome - Three Case Reports and Review of the Literature
Leonidas Grigorakos, Ioannis Nikolopoulos, Stamatina Stratouli, Anastasia Alexopoulou, Eleftherios Nikolaidis, Eleftherios Fotiou, Daria Lazarescu, Ioannis Alamanos
Journal of Trauma and Injury 2017;30(3):107-111
DOI: https://doi.org/10.20408/jti.2017.30.3.107
Published online: October 30, 2017
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1Faculty of Nursing, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. grigorakos@parliament.gr
2Intensive Care at Trauma, Hospital of Athens, KAT, Kifissia, Athens, Greece.
3Center of Respiratory Insufficiency, Sotiria Chest Hospital, Athens, Greece.
Received: 15 June 2017   • Revised: 31 August 2017   • Accepted: 7 September 2017

The fat embolism syndrome (FES) represents a condition, usually with traumatic etiology, which may pose challenges to diagnosis while its treatment usually requires supportive measures in the intensive care units (ICUs). The clinical criteria, including respiratory and cerebral dysfunction and a petechial rash, along with imaging studies help in diagnosis. Here we present three case reports of young male who developed FES and were admitted to our ICUs after long bones fractures emerging after vehicle crashes and we briefly review FES literature. All patients' treatment was directed towards: 1) the restoration of circulating volume with fresh blood and/or plasma; 2) the correction of acidosis; and 3) immobilization of the affected part. All patients recovered and were released to the orthopedic wards. The incidence of cases of patients with FES admitted in our ICUs records a significant decrease. This may be explained in terms effective infrastructure reforms in Greece which brought about significant improvement in early prevention and management.

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