title: Methods of management of flail chest.
abstract: We have treated 30 patients with flail chest, with priority given to associated factors (pain, secretions retention, hemo-/pneumothorax and underlying pulmonary contusion). When this treatment was insufficient IMV + PEEP was instituted; in this group there was a 58.8% incidence of pneumonia, 47.5% of sepsis and 11.7 days average stay in the ICU. These were significantly different when compared to the patients controlled without mechanical ventilatory support 7.7% pneumonia, 0% sepsis, 3.2 days). Surgical fixation was limnited to 4 patients who presented with multiple and greatly displace rib fractures, which made fixation by mechanical ventilation unpredictable.
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005409:Flail Chest / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*