Introduction
A rib contusion, also called rib contusion, is an injury to the ribs in the upper body, the bony ribcage, caused by blunt trauma. Internal organs such as the heart, lungs and vessels are not damaged in a rib contusion. The ribs are not broken in a rib contusion, but the tissue above the ribs is bruised. As a result, nerve endings in the periosteum are damaged and small blood vessels are injured. Typical causes of a rib contusion are a fall, an impact or a violent blow against the rib cage.
Duration of a rib contusion
The duration of a rib contusion can vary greatly from person to person. In addition to patient-specific anatomical characteristics, the time of diagnosis and the type and intensity of the treatment initiated also play a decisive role in the duration of rib contusion. In the ideal case, i.e. with a quick diagnosis and sufficient immobilization of the chest, rib contusion usually heals completely within a period of three to four weeks.
Especially in the case of rib contusions caused by coughing, the time until complete healing can be extended. The reason for this is that as long as the cough continues, immobilization of the chest cannot be guaranteed. The pressure caused by the cough continues to overstrain the bone-cartilage apparatus.
In some cases, the use of cough suppressants can slightly shorten the healing time for cough-related rib bruises. However, these cough suppressants increase the risk of developing pneumonia because the expulsion of bronchial secretion is suppressed. In addition, a rib contusion that includes several ribs and/or is particularly pronounced can also take a significantly longer healing time.
In severe cases, the time to complete healing may even take up to ten or more weeks. In most cases, a sick note for rib contusion is initially issued for 1-2 weeks, depending on the extent of the injury and pain. During this period, the symptoms subside for most of those affected, so that work is possible again.
If there is further pain after the 2 weeks, which makes work impossible, the sick leave can be extended up to 6 weeks. The duration of the sick leave also depends on the type of activity. Office work can often be resumed much more frequently than physical work.
Sick leave is particularly justified if pain still occurs during the exercise of the profession, which can hinder the healing process. Rib contusions can last for several weeks until they have completely healed and the pain has disappeared. In order to support the healing process, the bruised ribs should be cooled, which relieves the pain and reduces swelling.
Afterwards, it is very important to take painkillers so that the inflammation can subside and the sometimes extremely severe pain subsides. If patients do not take painkillers, they breathe less deeply in order to avoid the pain when breathing in deeply. However, the resulting gentle breathing can have serious consequences.
The shallow breathing means that less volume can be taken in and as a result the lungs are less well ventilated. This reduces the gas exchange in the alveoli, in which oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide, and the body no longer has enough oxygen available. As a result of the reduced breathing, pathogens, e.g. pneumococci, can penetrate the lungs more easily and cause pneumonia. Physical protection and immobilization of the trunk reduce the pain and also enable the rib bruises to heal quickly. In addition, sport should not be practiced in the case of a rib contusion, since the increased muscle work improves the blood supply to the injured tissue and thus increases the pain.
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