Myth of the dangerous sternal fracture.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To look at the hospital course and the outcome of patients with an isolated sternal fracture.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of hospital records.

SETTING

A large urban Level I trauma center.

TYPE OF PARTICIPANT

Blunt trauma patients with an isolated sternal fracture. Patients with other chest radiograph abnormalities were excluded, as were those with abnormal admission ECGs.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Thirty-one patients with an isolated sternal fracture were identified. No patient developed new ECG changes or arrhythmias during the hospital stay. Cardiac enzymes were elevated in one patient (3.2%). No patient had any adverse cardiopulmonary outcome attributable to the sternal fracture.

CONCLUSION

The outcome of patients with an isolated sternal fracture and a normal ECG is very good. Routine admission and cardiac monitoring do not appear to be warranted in this subset of patients with a sternal fracture.