Multiple thoracic vertebral fractures as a complication of cardiopulmonary resuscitation: A case report

Abstract

A 50-year-old man experienced cardiac arrest. The patient underwent standard cardiopulmonary resuscitative measures for approximately 20 minutes before spontaneous circulation returned. He was diagnosed with variant angina, and subsequent imaging for evaluation of upper back pain revealed fractures of the fifth through eighth thoracic vertebrae. Multiple thoracic vertebral fractures are extremely rare. Here we report a case of multiple thoracic vertebral fractures as a complication of cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation causing thoracolumbar hyperextension with severe spinal cord injury: A case report

“…Spinal fractures as a complication of CPR are exceedingly rare and have been minimally reported in the literature. Of cases that have been described, the fractures are mid-thoracic vertebral compression fractures [5] , [6] , [7] , [8] , [9] . The most common fracture location is at the mid-thoracic level because compressive forces during CPR are focused along the anterior and middle columns of the mid-thoracic curve [10] .…”