Intensive Care Management of Complicated Case of Fat Embolism Secondary to Femur Fracture

Abstract

Fat embolism syndrome (FES) is an inflammatory cascade, affecting multi-organs, potentially leading to serious complications in orthopedic patients, especially after femur fractures. It includes hypoxia due to pulmonary dysfunction, neurological and psychiatric changes, fever, tachycardia, petechial hemorrhages, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. Due to advancement in intensive care and supportive management and surgical techniques, like intramedullary reaming, the incidence of fat embolism syndrome has become only 0.5 percent. This report presents case of a 22-year-old male with femur fracture due to road traffic accident, with diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome, wound infection, pneumonia and deep venous thrombosis which was managed successfully.