Isolated sternal XXXX --a benign condition?

@entity1 @entity1619 @entity174 @entity854 @entity583 @entity943 @entity130
BACKGROUND: Fractures of the sternum may be associated with @entity130 to thoracic organs, with serious consequences. OBJECTIVE: To assess the hospital course of @entity1 diagnosed with isolated sternal @entity174 . METHODS: We reviewed 55 medical records of @entity1 who were admitted with isolated sternal @entity174 to the emergency department during the period January 1990 through August 1999. RESULTS: Fifty-one @entity1 were involved in motor vehicle accidents, and 4 sustained the injury as the result of a fall. Lateral chest X-ray upon admission was diagnostic in the majority of these @entity1 (n = 53). Electrocardiography (n = 52) was abnormal in four @entity1 --old @entity583 (n = 1), non-specific @entity1619 changes (n = 3). Cardiac enzymes (creatine-kinase-MB, n = 42) were pathologically elevated in five @entity1 . Echocardiography, performed in @entity1 with @entity854 and/or elevated myocardial enzymes (n = 7), was normal in these @entity1 as well as in another 18 @entity1 . There were no intensive care unit admissions or @entity943 during the hospital stay, which ranged from 6 hours to 6 days (mean 2.3 +/- 1.3 days, median 2 days). CONCLUSION: Our findings support the view that @entity1 with isolated sternal @entity174 and no abnormality in ECG and cardiac enzymes during the early hours after injury are expected to have a benign course and can be discharged home from the emergency room within the first 24 hours.
