The Prophylactic Effect of Methyl Prednisolone Sodium Succinate against Fat Embolism in Long Bones Fractures

Abstract

In this prospective study the effect of low dose methylprednisolone succinate (10mg/kg) on the incidence of fat embolism syndrome and isolated arterial hypoxemia in 99 patients with long bone fracture (52 control and 47 steroid-trated subjects) was studied. Frequency of fractures among the selected patients was as follows: femoral fracture 52.5%, tibial fracture 36.4%, both femoral and tibial fractures 11.1%.Fat embolism occurred only in four patients in control group, but there was no case of fat embolism in the steroid-treated group. In fifty five cases, isolated hypoxemia was developed of whom two cases were severe (pao2<50mmHg) and were in the control group, while there was no case of severe hypoxemia in steroidtreated group. None of the patients needed mechanical ventilation and no death was occurred. This drug decreased the risk of fat embolism syndrome in patients with long bone fracture and the results of this study, emphasizes the protective effect of methyl prednisolone against fat embolism syndrome reported in previous studies.