Summary
TWO hundred and twenty cases of fractured ribs were retrospectively reviewed. Haemothorax developed in 30 cases (13.6%), its occurrence being delayed in 53% of cases. The age of the patient, mode of injury and the highest rib fractured had no bearing on which patients developed a haemothorax, but it occurred less frequently with anterior rib fractures. The greater the grade and number of ribs fractured, the more likely the occurrence of haemothorax, and these two variables can be used to predict which rib fracture victims are most likely to develop this complication.
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McLoughlin, R., Mulcahy, R., Kent, P. et al. Haemothorax after rib fracture — Incidence, timing and prediction. I.J.M.S. 156, 117–119 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02954634
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02954634