Incidence of fat embolism syndrome in patients with long bone and/or pelvic fracture admitted to Shahid Bahonar hospital in Kerman

  this study was carried out from October 1993 through November 1995(26 months).during this period 3472 patients(2743 male and 729 female) with long bone and/or pelvic fracture were admitted in different wards of Shahid Bahonar hospital of Kerman.based on the Gurd criteria,25 of these patients (24 male,1 female) were suffering from fat embolism sundrome(FES).incidence of FES in this study was 7.1 per thousand patients(male 8.7 and female 1.4 per thousand).Frequencies of fractures with FES were as follow:female 16,,tibia 11, pelvis 2,foream 2, and humerus 1.positive clinical and laboratory findings were:24 cases of respiratory symotoms,20 cases of conjunctival and axillary petechia.19 cases of central nervous alteration,17 cases of cardiovascukar abnormalities,16 cases of fever, and 3 cases of hemoptysis.case fatality rate in this study was 4 % (1 case with undisplaced tibial and pelvis fracture).according to our findings,probability of FES accurrence after a single fracture for each bone was:pelvis and femur 2%  and 0.24% tibia.18 cases (76%) of FES occurs within first 48 hours and 22 (88%) cases within 72 hours post injury.incidence of FES was more than six times in males compared to females.