Characteristics of the 447 patients with proven or suspected rib fractures
| CHARACTERISTICS | TOTAL (N = 447), N (%) | ADMITTED (N = 23), N (%) | DISCHARGED (N = 24), N (%) | PVALUE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital | ||||
| • HEJ | 237 (53.0) | 3 (13.0) | 234 (55.2) | |
| • HDL | 144 (32.2) | 10 (43.5) | 134 (31.6) | < .001 |
| • CHUL | 66 (14.8) | 10 (43.5) | 56 (13.2) | |
| Men | 300 (67.6) | 13 (59.1) | 287 (67.7) | NS |
| Age | ||||
| • ≥ 65 y | 125 (28.0) | 17 (73.9) | 108 (25.5) | < .001 |
| • ≥ 45 y | 323 (72.3) | 18 (78.7) | 305 (71.9) | NS |
| Past medical history* | ||||
| • CAD | 51 (11.4) | 10 (43.4) | 41 (9.7) | < .001 |
| • COPD | 41 (9.2) | 6 (26.1) | 35 (8.3) | .004 |
| • Heart failure | 15 (3.4) | 3 (13.0) | 11 (2.6) | .003 |
| • Osteoporosis | 33 (7.4) | 4 (13.0) | 29 (6.4) | .06 |
| • Diabetes | 41 (9.2) | 5 (21.7) | 36 (8.5) | .03 |
| Medication | ||||
| • Antiplatelets | 86 (19.2) | 9 (39.1) | 77 (18.2) | .01 |
| • Anticoagulants | 10 (2.2) | 0 (0) | 10 (2.4) | NS |
| Delay from trauma to ED consultation† | ||||
| • < 24 h | 254 (56.8) | 19 (86.3) | 235 (56.2) | |
| • 24 to < 48 h | 33 (7.4) | 0 (0) | 33 (7.8) | .02 |
| • ≥ 48 h | 154 (34.5) | 3 (13.6) | 151 (36.9) | |
| Injury mechanism† | ||||
| • Fall from the patient’s own height | 193 (45.0) | 11 (50.0) | 182 (44.6) | |
| • Fall from greater than the patient’s own height | 88 (20.5) | 4 (18.6) | 84 (20.6) | |
| • MVC | 49 (11.4) | 4 (18.6) | 45 (11.0) | NS |
| • Pedestrian and MVC | 4 (0.9) | 1 (4.5) | 3 (0.7) | |
| • Direct blunt injury | 72 (16.8) | 1 (4.5) | 71 (17.1) | |
| • Other | 23 (5.4) | 1 (4.5) | 22 (15.4) | |
| Abnormal initial ED vital signs | ||||
| • Tachypnea (≥ 24 breaths/min) | 35 (7.7) | 5 (21.7) | 30 (7.0) | .02 |
| • Oxygen saturation (≤ 92%) | 75 (16.8) | 6 (26.7) | 69 (16.4) | NS |
| • Tachycardia (≥ 100 beats/min) | 42 (9.5) | 3 (13.6) | 39 (9.2) | NS |
| No. of rib fractures on ED radiographs† | ||||
| • 1 | 111 (25.0) | 2 (8.7) | 109 (25.9) | |
| • 2 | 82 (18.5) | 2 (8.7) | 80 (18.9) | .001 |
| • 3 | 42 (9.5) | 4 (18.2) | 38 (9.1) | |
| • ≥ 4 | 34 (7.7) | 13 (56.5) | 21 (5.0) | |
| • Clinical diagnosis (ie, no rib fractures on x-ray scans) | 175 (39.4) | 2 (9.0) | 173 (41.2) | |
CAD—coronary artery disease, CHUL—Centre Hospitalier de l’Université Laval, COPD—chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, ED—emergency department, HDL—Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis, HEJ—Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus, MVC—motor vehicle collision, NS—not significant.
↵* Smoking habits (current, past, or never) were not significantly associated with admission (data omitted for clarity).
↵† Missing data were noted on chart review for injury mechanism, delay from trauma to ED consultation, and number of rib fractures on ED radiographs.