ArticleFrontiers in surgery2023
Quality of life and clinical outcomes of operatively treated patients with flail chest injuries: A multicentre prospective cohort study.
Article in Frontiers in surgery, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Comparison of flail and multiple simple rib fracture patterns among patients included in rib fracture studies; A systematic review and meta-analysis.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025Pooled it
- Surgical versus non-surgical treatment of flail chest: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2023Pooled it
- Long-term quality of life and chronic pain after surgical vs. non-operative treatment of rib fractures: systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Review
- Thoracostomy for removal of excess fluid in surgical stabilization of rib fractures: the T-REX trial.European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society · 2025Observational
- Natural Experiments as a Study Method in Spinal Trauma Surgery: A Systematic Review.Global spine journal · 2024Review
- 3D-printed external fixation guide combined with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for the treatment of flail chest: a technical report and case series.Frontiers in surgery · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction: Most studies about rib fractures focus on mortality and morbidity. Literature is scarce on long term and quality of life (QoL) outcomes. Therefore, we report QoL and long-term outcomes after rib fixation in flail chest patients. Methods: A prospective cohort study of clinical flail chest patients admitted to six level 1 trauma centres in the Netherlands and Switzerland between January 2018 and March 2021. Outcomes included in-hospital outcomes and long-term outcomes, such as QoL measurements 12 months after hospitalization using the EuroQoL five dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire. Results: Sixty-one operatively treated flail chest patients were included. Median hospital length of stay was 15 days and intensive care length of stay was 8 days. Sixteen (26%) patients developed pneumonia and two (3%) died. One year after hospitalization the mean EQ5D score was 0.78. Complication rates were low and included hemothorax (6%) pleural effusion (5%) and two revisions of the implant (3%). Implant related irritation was commonly reported by patients ( Conclusions: Rib fixation for flail chest injuries can be considered a safe procedure and with low mortality rates. Future studies should focus on quality of life rather than solely short-term outcomes.
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