title: Long-term disability associated with flail chest injury.
abstract: Twenty-two trauma victims who had sustained flail chest as their only significant injury were evaluated to determine the final outcome. Fourteen patients (63.9 percent) were found to have long-term sequelae. The most common long-term problems after flail chest injury were persistent chest wall pain, chest wall deformity, and dyspnea on exertion. Five patients (22 percent) remained disabled in varying degrees.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005409:Flail Chest / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D005082:Physical Exertion; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013909:Thorax