A retrospective analysis of all patient presenting with multiple rib fractures to the emergency room of Penn State Hershey Medical Center between 2010-2012. Patient demographics, cause of fracture, outcomes, chronic medical conditions, vital signs, length of stay, pain levels and treatment, and sequelae will be recorded and analyzed.
This is a retrospective chart review with follow-up phone calls. The initial part of the study will be a retrospective chart review. For this chart review study, the following data elements will be entered for each participant. The investigators will perform a retrospective study of patients who have been treated for rib fractures at Penn State Hershey Medical Center (PSHMC). The time period of review will be 1/10/10 - 1/10/12 until 1500 cases have been reviewed. Data collected will be: * Patient Medical Record Number (MRN) * Name * Phone number * length of stay (admit and discharge date) * Number of rib fractures per patient * Cause of rib fracture * Characteristics of the fracture (unilateral versus bilateral and multiple versus single) * Pain management used for the rib fracture including pain interventions, medications and all pain scores * Complications attributable to the rib fracture, including: 1. Shortness of Breath (SOB) 2. Hemothorax, 3. Pneumothorax 4. Flail chest 5. Intubation required 6. Mechanical ventilation required 7. Opioids required for pain 8. Chest tube placement required * Sequelae of rib fracture, including: 1. Acute Respiratory Deficiency Syndrome (ARDS) 2. Pneumonia 3. Death 4. chronic pain 5. delayed subclavian vessel thrombosis 6. aortic aneurysm 7. tracheobronchial fistula 8. thoracic outlet syndrome 9. Horner's syndrome * Clinical history of 1. Rib fractures 2. Other fractures 3. Osteoporosis 4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 5. Cancer 6. Myocardial Infarction (MI) / Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) 7. Arthritis 8. Parkinson's disease * Patient characteristics: 1. Age 2. Gender 3. Race 4. Body Mass Index (BMI) 5. Alcohol use 6. Smoking status 7. Marital status 8. Education 9. Initial blood pressure 7.2.2 Follow-up phone calls The investigators will then attempt to call the patients for follow-up information using a summary explanation of research phone script to obtain the following information: 1. pain score 2. quality of life via the EuroQol's quality of life survey :EQ-5D-3L questionnaire 3. pain meds
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
921
Types and treatment of Rib Fractures
* Characteristics of the fracture (unilateral versus bilateral and multiple versus single) * Pain management used for the rib fracture including pain interventions, medications and all pain scores
Time frame: Past 4 years
sequelae and complications from rib fractures
sequelae and complications in patients presenting with rib fractures: •Complications attributable to the rib fracture, including: 1. Shortness of Breath (SOB) 2. Hemothorax, 3. Pneumothorax 4. Flail chest 5. Intubation required 6. Mechanical ventilation required 7. Opioids required for pain 8. Chest tube placement required
Time frame: Past 4 years
Pain levels
Time frame: Past 4 years
Patient Characteristics
* Clinical history of 1. Rib fractures 2. Other fractures 3. Osteoporosis 4. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) 5. Cancer 6. Myocardial Infarction (MI) / Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) 7. Arthritis 8. Parkinson's disease * Patient characteristics: 1. Age 2. Gender 3. Race 4. Body Mass Index (BMI) 5. Alcohol use 6. Smoking status 7. Marital status 8. Education 9. Initial blood pressure
Time frame: past 4 years
Current patient quality of life as assessed by telephone survey
Follow-up phone calls The investigators will then attempt to call the patients for follow-up information using a summary explanation of research phone script to obtain the following information: 1. pain score 2. quality of life via the EuroQol's quality of life survey :EQ-5D-3L questionnaire 3. pain meds
Time frame: past 4 years
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