Overview
What are the risks of a fat embolism?
Who was the first person credited with making the clinical diagnosis of fat embolism?
How is fat embolism diagnosed?
What is the pathophysiology of fat embolism?
Where is the pathophysiology of fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
What are the pulmonary consequences of fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
What is the role of patent foramen ovale in the pathophysiology of fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
What are the causes of fat embolism?
What is the prevalence of fat embolism?
What is the prognosis of fat embolism?
What is the progression of fat embolism?
What is the prognosis of fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
Presentation
Which history findings suggest fat embolism?
What is required for a diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
What are the major criteria for diagnosing fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
What are the minor criteria for diagnosing fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
What are the initial signs and symptoms of fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
How is the petechial rash of fat embolism syndrome (FES) characterized?
What are the central nervous system signs and symptoms of fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
DDX
Which conditions are included in the differential diagnoses for fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
What are the differential diagnoses for Fat Embolism?
Workup
Which lab findings suggest fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
Which lab tests may be helpful for early detection of fat embolism syndrome (FES)?
What is the role of radiography in the diagnosis of fat embolism?
What is the role of CT scanning in the diagnosis of fat embolism?
What is the role of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of fat embolism?
What is the role of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the diagnosis of fat embolism?
What is the role of MRI and nuclear ventilation perfusion imaging in the diagnosis of fat embolism?
What is the role of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in the diagnosis of fat embolism?
Treatment
What is the role of medications in the management of fat embolism?
What are the treatment options for fat embolism?
Which medications are used in the treatment of fat embolism?
How should patients at risk of fat embolism managed?
What is the role of surgery in the treatment of fat embolism?
What is the role of methylprednisolone in the prevention of fat embolism?
What is the role of corticosteroids in the prevention of fat embolism?
What is the role of heparin in the prevention of fat embolism?
What is the role of ethanol and dextrose in the prevention of fat embolism?
Medications
What are the goals of drug treatment for fat embolism?
Which medications in the drug class Colloids are used in the treatment of Fat Embolism?
Which medications in the drug class Isotonic Crystalloids are used in the treatment of Fat Embolism?
Which medications in the drug class Corticosteroids are used in the treatment of Fat Embolism?
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Hematoxylin-eosin stain of section of lungs showing blood vessel with fibrinoid material and optical empty space indicative of presence of lipid dissolved during staining process. This 55-year-old woman died of massive fat embolism after developing pancreatitis due to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Originally published in Kanen BL, Loffeld RJLF. Pancreatitis with an unusual fatal complication following endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports. 2008;2:215.
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Frozen section of lung stained with oil red O showing multiple orange red fat globules of varying sizes in septal vasculature. Image courtesy of Dr AVC Rao, Senior Lecturer in Pathology, The University of the West Indies at St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. Originally published in Journal of Orthopaedics (http://www.jortho.org/2008/5/4/e8/).