A New Clinical and Experimental Concept on Fat Embolism

Abstract

A SURVEY on the study of fat embolism conducted in all traumatologic departments of the teaching hospitals and of the other large hospitals, as well as in all Böhler Hospitals for the treatment of cases of injury in Austria covered 263,861 hospitalized patients. The overall mortality rate was 2 per cent (5,265 cases). In all these cases an autopsy was performed as required by Austrian law. In 5 per cent of these fatal injuries (289 cases) systemic fat embolism was the principal cause of death. In 566 additional cases (10.8 per cent) fat embolism, mostly of pulmonary nature, was considered . . .