Fat Embolism Clinical Presentation

  • Author: Lisa Kirkland, MD, FACP, CNSP, MSHA; Chief Editor: Vincent Lopez Rowe, MD   more...
 
Updated: Sep 8, 2011
 

History

  • Trauma to long bone or pelvis, including orthopedic procedures
  • Parenteral lipid infusion
  • Recent corticosteroid administration
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Physical

Respiratory symptoms, signs of radiologic disease; cerebral signs without other etiologies; and petechial rash are the major criteria. A pulse that is over 110 beats per minute, fever over 38.5 º C, retinal changes of fat globules or petechiae, renal dysfunction, jaundice, acute drop in hemoglobin and/or platelets, and elevated sedimentation rate are the minor criteria. One major and 4 minor criteria, plus fat microglobulinemia, must be present to formally diagnose fat embolism syndrome.

  • Cardiopulmonary
    • Early persistent tachycardia may herald the onset of the syndrome.
    • Patients become tachypneic, dyspneic, and hypoxic due to ventilation-perfusion abnormalities 12-72 hours after injury.
    • Patients become febrile with high-spiking temperatures.
  • Dermatologic
    • Alert clinicians may notice reddish-brown nonpalpable petechiae developing over the upper body, particularly in the axillae, within 24-36 hours of insult or injury. These petechiae occur in only 20-50% of patients and resolve quickly, but they are virtually diagnostic in the right clinical setting.
    • Subconjunctival and oral hemorrhages and petechiae also appear.
  • Neurologic
    • Central nervous system dysfunction initially manifests as agitated delirium but may progress to stupor, seizures, or coma and is frequently unresponsive to correction of hypoxia.[2]
    • Retinal hemorrhages with intra-arterial fat globules are visible upon funduscopic examination.
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Causes

  • Blunt trauma (associated with 90% of all cases)
  • Acute pancreatitis
  • Burns
  • Joint reconstruction
  • Liposuction
  • Cardiopulmonary bypass
  • Decompression sickness
  • Parenteral lipid infusion
  • Sickle cell crisis[3, 4]
  • Pathologic fractures
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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Lisa Kirkland, MD, FACP, CNSP, MSHA  Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, Mayo Clinic; ANW Intensivists, Abbott Northwestern Hospital

Lisa Kirkland, MD, FACP, CNSP, MSHA is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Society of Hospital Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Richard M Stillman†, MD, FACS  Honorary Medical Staff, Northwest Medical Center; Former Chief of Staff and Medical Director, Wound Healing Center, Department of Surgery, Northwest Medical Center

Richard M Stillman†, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Angiology, American College of Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery, and Society of University Surgeons

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Medscape Salary Employment

Travis J Phifer, MD  Chief, Division of Vascular Surgery, Professor, Department of Surgery and Radiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport

Travis J Phifer, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, Association for Academic Surgery, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Society for Vascular Surgery, and Society of Critical Care Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Paolo Zamboni, MD  Professor of Surgery, Chief of Day Surgery Unit, Chair of Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Italy

Paolo Zamboni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Venous Forum and New York Academy of Sciences

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Vincent Lopez Rowe, MD  Associate Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, University of Southern California Medical Center

Vincent Lopez Rowe, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Surgeons, American Heart Association, Pacific Coast Surgical Association, Peripheral Vascular Surgery Society, Society for Clinical Vascular Surgery, Society for Vascular Surgery, and Western Vascular Surgical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

References

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  2. Metting Z, Rödiger LA, Regtien JG, van der Naalt J. Delayed coma in head injury: consider cerebral fat embolism. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. Sep 2009;111(7):597-600. [Medline].

  3. Godeau B, Schaeffer A, Bachir D, Fleury-Feith J, Galacteros F, Verra F. Bronchoalveolar lavage in adult sickle cell patients with acute chest syndrome: value for diagnostic assessment of fat embolism. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. May 1996;153(5):1691-6. [Medline].

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  9. Mimoz O, Edouard A, Beydon L, Quillard J, Verra F, Fleury J. Contribution of bronchoalveolar lavage to the diagnosis of posttraumatic pulmonary fat embolism. Intensive Care Med. Dec 1995;21(12):973-80. [Medline].

  10. Wong MW, Tsui HF, Yung SH, Chan KM, Cheng JC. Continuous pulse oximeter monitoring for inapparent hypoxemia after long bone fractures. J Trauma. Feb 2004;56(2):356-62. [Medline].

  11. Alho A, Saikku K, Eerola P, Koskinen M, Hämäläinen M. Corticosteroids in patients with a high risk of fat embolism syndrome. Surg Gynecol Obstet. Sep 1978;147(3):358-62. [Medline].

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  18. Hofmann S, Hopf R, Huemer G, Kratochwill C, Koller-Strametz J, Schlag G. [Modified surgical technique for reduction of bone marrow spilling in cement-free hip endoprosthesis]. Orthopade. Apr 1995;24(2):130-7. [Medline].

  19. Kallenbach J, Lewis M, Zaltzman M, Feldman C, Orford A, Zwi S. 'Low-dose' corticosteroid prophylaxis against fat embolism. J Trauma. Oct 1987;27(10):1173-6. [Medline].

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  23. Scully RE, Mark EJ, McNeely WF. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological exercises. Case 23-1998. Tachypnea, changed mental status, and pancytopenia in an elderly man with treated lymphoma. N Engl J Med. Jul 23 1998;339(4):254-61. [Medline].

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Haematoxylin and eosin stain of a section of the lungs showing a blood vessel with fibrinoid material and an optical empty space indicative of the presence of lipid dissolved during the staining process. This 55-year-old woman died of massive fat embolism after developing pancreatitis due to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography. Image source: Pancreatitis with an unusual fatal complication following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2008;2:215.
Table 1
DoseModelTimingDuration of StudyEffect on Disease Incidence
30 mg/kgDogPre-event60 minNone
10 mg/kg q8h for 24 hHuman traumaAt admissionNo dataDeclining
7.5 mg/kg q6h for 12 h or placeboHuman traumaWithin 12 h2 dDeclining
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