Highlights from #EAST2015 - Guidelines for Operative Management of Rib Fractures

Dr. Kasotakis and his sub-committee presented the newest recommendations for Operative Rib Fixation:

In patients with Flail Chest after blunt trauma, they recommend:

Rib fixation should be performed to shorten ventilation duration, hospital and ICU LOS

Rib faxation should be undertaken early to maximize the LOS benefit

In patients with rib fractures (but no flail chest) after blunt trauma, they recommend:

Rib fixation may be performed to improve pain control in carefully selected patients.

All recommendations are weak or conditional due to the published studies that were considered.