title: Brain death due to fat embolism - could moderate hypercapnia and prone position be blamed for the tonsillar herniation?
abstract: Fat embolism to the systemic circulation in polytrauma patients is very common. The fat embolism syndrome (FES), however, is a rare condition. We describe a case of traumatic femur fracture with FES that was presented as acute tonsillar herniation (coning) and brain death postoperatively. We believe that in this case the prone position and moderate hypercapnia contributed to the acute coning.
authors: Central Intensive Care Unit, Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Uppsala University Hospital , Uppsala , Sweden.
authors: Rafael
authors: R
authors: Kawati
authors: Anders
authors: A
authors: Larsson
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D001926:Brain Death / Q000175:diagnosis*; D054810:Deep Sedation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004620:Embolism, Fat / Q000473:pathology*; D004677:Encephalocele / Q000209:etiology*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005264:Femoral Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000150:complications*; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D016684:Prone Position; D013577:Syndrome; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult
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