Developing Fat Emboli in Car Accidents
I’m Ed Smith, a Car Accident Lawyer in Sacramento. Most people are familiar with blood clots because of their ability to cause heart attacks, strokes, and pulmonary emboli. There is another type of clot that people should be aware of called fat emboli. Even healthy people are subject to developing fat emboli in a car accident.
Fat emboli are made up of cholesterol crystals that are released from the interior of bones. These substances are broken loose when bones are fractured, exposing the marrow to the bloodstream. Some of the essential statistics regarding fat emboli include:
- About 17% of people who break a major bone, such as the femur or pelvis, will develop multiple fat emboli.
- Fat emboli can develop in a third of patients who broke both of their femurs.
- Some of the most common symptoms of fat emboli include rapid heart rate, falling hemoglobin, and difficulty breathing.
While many different types of clots can form, it is easy to overlook fat emboli. Despite this, fat emboli have the potential to cause fatal complications.
A Case Report: Diffuse Fat Emboli in Auto Accidents
A team of healthcare professionals published a case report describing the dangers of fat emboli. A young man was driving on the highway when he got into a car accident. He sustained numerous serious injuries in the crash. Because of his injuries, he was transported quickly to a local hospital. There, he received a variety of imaging scans. He was diagnosed with multiple bone fractures. He was taken to the operating room to repair his injuries. A few days after the surgery, he started having trouble breathing. He was taken to radiology for further imaging. Somehow, the man had sustained numerous blood clots in his lungs, which led to pulmonary emboli. Upon further investigation, he was diagnosed with fat emboli. When he sustained his bone fractures, the marrow from the bones was released into the bloodstream. In this case, these marrow particles caused clots to form in his lungs.
The Consequences of Fat Emboli
The fat emboli can lodge anywhere. The location of the clot will impact the symptoms and the consequences that result. Other places that clots can form include:
- The small blood vessels of the skin, creating a diffuse rash.
- Blood vessels in the legs, causing a deep vein thrombosis.
- The coronary arteries in the heart, leading to a heart attack.
- They can also travel to the brain, causing a stroke.
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Car Accident Lawyers in Sacramento
I’m Ed Smith, a Car Accident Lawyer in Sacramento. If you or a loved one has developed fat emboli and clots following a car crash, please give me a call at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. I will be happy to offer friendly, free advice.
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