Table 2. Surgical characteristics and surgery related complications of patients with multiple rib fractures or flail chest.
| Characteristics | Overall (n=563) | Multiple rib fracture (n=430) | Flail chest (n=133) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration until surgery, n (%) | |||
| <24 hours | 107 (19.0) | 66 (15.3) | 41 (30.8) |
| 24–72 hours | 378 (67.1) | 311 (72.3) | 67 (50.4) |
| 72 hours to 7 days | 78 (13.9) | 53 (12.3) | 25 (18.8) |
| Duration of surgery (min), mean ± SD | 153±16 | 141±15 | 193±21 |
| Number of surgically fixed rib fractures (mean ± SD) | 4.0±1.3 | 3.8±1.4 | 4.7±1.6 |
| Surgical complication, n (%) | |||
| Bleeding | 7 (1.2) | 5 (1.2) | 2 (1.5) |
| Wound infection | 43 (7.6) | 31 (7.2) | 12 (9.0) |
Categorical data are presented as number and percent; continuous data are presented as mean ± SD. SD, standard deviation.