Table 4.
Outcome measures after rib fixation for flail chest or multiple rib fractures
| Short-term outcome measures | Flail chest | Multiple rib fractures |
|---|---|---|
| n = 67 | n = 99 | |
| HLOS (days, median, IQR) | 19 (11–26) | 14 (10–28) |
| ICU admission (n, %) | 44 (66) | 44 (44) |
| ICU-LOS among those admitted to ICU (days, median, IQR) | 8 (6–14) | 9 (2–16) |
| Number of patient with IMV (n, %) | 40 (60) | 35 (35) |
| Duration of IMV among those ventilated (days, median, IQR) | 6 (4–12) | 9 (4–16) |
| Tracheostomy (n, %) | 7 (10) | 9 (9) |
| Long-term outcome measures | n = 40 | n = 63 |
|---|---|---|
| EQ-5D index (median, IQR) | 0.85 (0.62–1) | 0.79 (0.62–0.91) |
| EQ VAS (median, IQR) | 75 (63–85) | 73 (65–80) |
| Implant-related irritation (n, %) | 21 (53) | 28 (44) |
| Implant removed (n, %) | 5 (13) | 4 (6) |
| Reason removed (n, %) | ||
| Attributable to implant-related irritation | 5 (13) | 4 (6) |
| Patient’s wish or surgeon’s preference | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Status not removed (n, %) | ||
| No irritation | 19 (47) | 35 (56) |
| Experiencing irritation, but implant removal not necessary | 12 (30) | 11 (18) |
| Experiencing irritation, but no request for removal owing to fear of reoperation | 1 (3) | 2 (3) |
| Experiencing irritation, considering removal | 3 (8) | 10 (16) |
| Revision implant (n, %) | 1 (3) | 1 (2) |
| mMRC (n, %) | ||
| 0 | 17 (43) | 31 (49) |
| 1 | 12 (30) | 23 (37) |
| 2 | 6 (15) | 5 (8) |
| 3 | 4 (10) | 3 (5) |
| 4 | 1 (3) | 1 (2) |
| Follow-up duration in years (median, IQR) | 3.1 (2.4–5.1) | 4.4 (3.4–5.9) |
| Follow-up range duration in years (min, max) | 1–7.5 | 1–7.6 |
HLOS hospital length of stay, ICU-LOS intensive care unit length of stay, IQR interquartile range, IMV invasive mechanical ventilation, mMRC modified Medical Research Council