Citation

Teeuwen PH, Sloots PC, de Blaauw I, Wijnen R, Biert J. Eur. J. Trauma Emerg. Surg. 2009; 35(3): 311-313.

Affiliation

Department of Surgery, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00068-008-8141-6

PMID

26814910

Abstract

We report a lethal case of fat embolism syndrome in a nine-year-old child after a direct blunt trauma leading to a pelvic fracture. On the second day, signs of bowel perforation and septic shock led to an acute aggravation of the pulmonary symptoms, cardiac arrest and death. Fat embolism is seldom thought to occur in pediatric trauma patients; however, this case illustrates it can lead to disastrous sequela. Since there is no specific treatment for it, prevention by early fracture stabilization is the only option.

Language: en