Shreyas Iyer Hospitalised in Australia: What Is a Rib Cage Injury and How Serious Is It?

Indian cricketer Shreyas Iyer is in the Intensive Care Unit of a hospital in Sydney after sustaining internal bleeding from a rib injury suffered during the team’s third ODI against Australia. According

to news reports, Iyer, who pulled off a sensational catch while sprinting back from backward point to remove Alex Carey, appeared to have injured his left rib cage. He was immediately moved to the hospital after returning to the dressing room due to intense discomfort. A report on the news agency PTI suggested the 30-year-old ODI vice-captain suffered internal bleeding. Initially, Iyer was expected to be out of action for about three weeks, but the recovery period may now be longer.

What is a rib cage injury?

A rib-cage injury or fracture is the medical term for a broken rib, which is mostly caused by car accidents, sports injuries, and a few other traumas. Doctors say it is also possible to break a rib without experiencing trauma, too. It is rare to need surgery to repair a rib fracture, unless the injury that broke your rib damaged your internal organs. Unlike most other types of fractures of the bones, you may probably need treatment other than rest, ice, and breathing exercises. Experts say most people need at least a month to recover from a rib fracture. Doctors usually use the words displaced or non-displaced to describe a rib cage fracture. A displaced fracture means the pieces of your bone moved so much that a gap formed around the fracture when your bone broke. Non-displaced fractures are still broken bones, but the pieces were not moved far enough to be out of alignment during the break. Displaced fractures are much more likely to require surgery to repair. While your ribs are among the strongest bones in your body, it is rare to fracture them without experiencing a major trauma like a car accident or fall. Around 30 per cent of people who experience trauma to their chest break at least one rib. Fractures caused by a traumatic injury are rare.

Signs and symptoms of a rib injury

A few symptoms and signs of a rib fracture include:

• Severe pain, especially when you breathe, cough, or move your chest and upper body.
• Tenderness and inflammation
• Bruising or discolouration

What are the deadly complications of a rib fracture?

According to experts, a few complications caused by rib cage injury include:

Organ damage

Rib fractures usually occur during traumas, which means there is also a chance you may have other injuries, such as serious damage. While your ribs protect several of your most important organs, they can affect your heart, liver, stomach, kidneys, and spleen, leading to bleeding as well.

Breathlessness

Breathing with a broken rib can be very painful. If you do not breathe as deeply as you usually do while your ribs are fractured, you have an increased risk of developing pneumonia. Doctors say rib fractures can also lead to a collapsed lung.