Pulmonary Gas Exchange during Intramedullary Fixation of Femoral Shaft Fractures

Description: OTA Paper 1998: This study was undertaken to determine if intramedullary femoral nailing produces immediate worsening of pulmonary gas exchange in patients with femoral shaft fractures.
Conclusion: The process of femoral nailing with and without reaming does not appear to produce significant pulmonary marrow element emboli to alter pulmonary gas exchange, as indicated by the absence of any change in either the alveolar dead space fraction or the alveolar-arterial oxygen gradient.