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Systematic review of systematic reviews for effectiveness of internal fixation for flail chest and rib fractures in adults.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES:Multiple systematic reviews have reported on the impact of rib fracture fixation in the presence of flail chest and multiple rib fractures, however this practice remains controversial. Our aim is to synthesise the effectiveness of surgical rib fracture fixation as evidenced by systematic reviews. DESIGN:A systematic search identified systematic reviews comparing effectiveness of rib fracture fixation with non-operative management of adults with flail chest or unifocal non-flail rib fractures. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Science Citation Index were last searched 17 March 2017. Risk of bias was assessed using the Risk Of Bias In Systematic reviews (ROBIS) tool. The primary outcome was duration of mechanical ventilation. RESULTS:Twelve systematic reviews were included, consisting of 3 unique randomised controlled trials and 19 non-randomised studies. Length of mechanical ventilation was shorter in the fixation group compared with the non-operative group in flail chest; pooled estimates ranged from -4.52?days, 95%?CI (-5.54 to -3.5) to -7.5?days, 95%?CI (-9.9 to -5.5). Pneumonia, length of hospital and intensive care unit stay all showed a statistically significant improvement in favour of fixation for flail chest; however, all outcomes in favour of fixation had substantial heterogeneity. There was no statistically significant difference between groups in mortality. Two systematic reviews included one non-randomised studies of unifocal non-flail rib fracture population; due to limited evidence the benefits with surgery are uncertain. CONCLUSIONS:Synthesis of the reviews has shown some potential improvement in patient outcomes with flail chest after fixation. For future review updates, meta-analysis for effectiveness may need to take into account indications and timing of surgery as a subgroup analysis to address clinical heterogeneity between primary studies. Further robust evidence is required before conclusions can be drawn of the effectiveness of surgical fixation for flail chest and in particular, unifocal non-flail rib fractures. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER:CRD42016053494.

SUBMITTER: Ingoe HM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6500198 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Systematic review of systematic reviews for effectiveness of internal fixation for flail chest and rib fractures in adults.

Ingoe Helen Ma HM Coleman Elizabeth E Eardley William W Rangan Amar A Hewitt Catherine C McDaid Catriona C

BMJ open 20190401 4

<h4>Objectives</h4>Multiple systematic reviews have reported on the impact of rib fracture fixation in the presence of flail chest and multiple rib fractures, however this practice remains controversial. Our aim is to synthesise the effectiveness of surgical rib fracture fixation as evidenced by systematic reviews.<h4>Design</h4>A systematic search identified systematic reviews comparing effectiveness of rib fracture fixation with non-operative management of adults with flail chest or unifocal n ...[more]

PMID: 30940753

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Project description:BackgroundTo evaluate therapeutic efficacy of minimally invasive and small incision surgery [minimally invasive surgery (MIS)] in patients with non-flail chest rib fractures through a prospective cohort study.MethodsThis study included 98 patients with non-flail chest rib fractures (≥3 displaced fractures) and 66 patients undergoing MIS served as the experimental group and 32 patients receiving conservative treatment served as the matched control group. Pain index and indicators of pulmonary function [vital capacity (VC); forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1); peak expiratory flow (PEF)] for the two groups were assessed and compared at the time of admission and before discharge. In addition, duration of pain, time required for the patient to regain the ability to perform daily self-care, mental labor, and moderate-to-severe physical labor, and duration of chest discomfort were measured during long-term follow-up and compared between the two groups.ResultsThere were also no significant differences (P>0.05) in pain index (8 vs. 8) or indicators of pulmonary function (VC: 31.0% vs. 26.5%; FEV1: 29.9% vs. 26.7%; PEF: 15.2% vs. 12.0%) were found between the MIS and conservative treatment groups at the time of admission; while pain index (3 vs. 6), VC (42.1% vs. 35.3%), and FEV1 (44.2% vs. 35.9%) were significantly different between the two groups (P<0.05) but not in PEF (21.2% vs. 19.6%) before discharge. Long-term follow-up showed that duration of pain, time required for the patient to regain the ability to engage in daily self-care, mental labor, and moderate-to-severe physical labor, and duration of chest discomfort in the MIS group were significantly more improved than in the conservative treatment group (P<0.05).ConclusionsMIS was a simple and safe treatment that significantly relieved chest pain and rapidly restored pulmonary function and improved the long-term quality of life of patients with non-flail chest rib fractures of ≥3 ribs with displacement.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Severe flail chest is a life-threatening situation. The Nuss procedure is a new effective treatment for severe flail chest patients who cannot be weaned from prolonged mechanical ventilation in the last few years. However, the procedure is not suitable when there are multiple fractures in both the anterior and lateral chest walls. Here, we reported a rare case of severe flail chest in a patient who suffered multiple fractures in both the anterior and lateral chest walls in a traffic accident. CASE PRESENTATION:A 49-year-old patient suffered severe flail chest by a steering wheel in a traffic accident with multiple fractures in both the anterior and lateral chest walls. In the beginning, the patient was administrated with mechanical ventilation because of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) for more than 1 week. Then the patient suffered from a severe lung infection and decreased blood oxygen saturation. After a multidiscipline discussion (MDT), three rib fixation plates were first used to rebuild the stability of lateral chest walls, then two Nuss bars were inserted to eliminate paradoxical movement in the anterior chest wall. Finally, the patient recovered smoothly after the combining procedure. CONCLUSIONS:Severe flail chest patients with both the anterior and lateral chest walls after trauma are in a life-threatening situation, and require an appropriate procedure to get out of danger in time. Rib fixation is an effective treatment when the fractured sites are few and the fractured area is small. The Nuss procedure is a new effective method for severe flail chest with multiple fractures in an anterior chest wall, which is also a minimally invasive and short time-consuming procedure. However, it does not suitable for the patient with multiple fractures in lateral chest walls. Combining the use of Nuss procedure and rib fixation can solve severe flail chest with multiple ribs and sternum fractures in both the anterior and lateral chest walls, and the outcome of this procedure is satisfying in the present rare case.

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Systematic review of systematic reviews for effectiveness of internal fixation for flail chest and rib fractures in adults.

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Systematic review of systematic reviews for effectiveness of internal fixation for flail chest and rib fractures in adults.

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