Clinical features
Clinical presentation of fat embolism depends on the involved system as highlighted in the table below:
| SYSTEM | CLINICAL PRESENTATION |
| RESPIRATORY SYSTEM | Tachypnoea Hypoxaemia Laboured breathing Dyspnoea |
| CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM | Seizures Headache Altered level of consciousness Focal neurological deficits Fever |
| CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM | Tachycardia Hypotension Acute chest pain Features of Right-sided heart failure |
| RENAL SYSTEM | Oliguria Haematuria |
| SKIN | Petechial rash |
GURD’S DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA
This is a specific tool used for clinical diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome. The presence of two major criteria or one major and four minor criteria were proposed as sufficient for a diagnosis of fat embolism syndrome.
Major Criteria
- Petechial rash
- Respiratory insufficiency
- Cerebral involvement in non-head injury patients
Minor Criteria
- Fever greater than 38.5 C
- Tachycardia heart rate greater than 110 beats per minutes
- Retinal involvement
- Jaundice
- Renal signs
- Anemia
- Thrombocytopenia
- High erythrocyte sedimentation rate
- Fat macroglobulinemia