European journal of emergency medicine : official journal of the European Society for Emergency Medicine
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Case Reports
Bilateral first rib fractures associated with driver's air bag inflation: case report and implications for surgery.
A case of bilateral fractures of the first rib occurring in an otherwise fit road traffic accident victim is described. The only other injuries sustained were of the peripheral limbs. The driver's air bag was inflated during the crash, leading to speculation as to whether this may have contributed to the mechanism of injury. ⋯ Aortic arch aortography was not performed before internal fixation of the peripheral fractures was undertaken under general anaesthesia. A review of the indications for angiography in such patients follows. The policy that patients with fractures of the upper first ribs do not require angiography unless there is other evidence of neurovascular damage is supported.