Fractured ribs (patient fact sheet)

Please note that this guidance is currently undergoing review by Safer Care Victoria to ensure  the content is up to date. In the meantime, we recommend that you also refer to more contemporaneous evidence where possible.

Download our fact sheet to provide your patients with easy to follow guidance on fractured ribs.

This fact sheet has the #withconsumers tick from the Consumers Health Forum of Australia

Rib fractures (also known as ‘broken’ ribs) are one of the most common injuries to the chest. Ribs usually fracture (break or crack) at the point of impact or towards the back where they are weakest. Typically, you will have pain on deep breathing and coughing and it will be tender over one or more ribs. It may also feel hard to breathe.

X-rays may not always show broken ribs but are useful to check for damage to other structures. Depending on where the ribs are broken, there is potential for injury to other organs such as the spleen, liver, kidney or lungs. Your doctor or healthcare practitioner will assess you to exclude this.