Die Beckenringzerreißung beim polytraumatisierten Patienten

Current trends in the management of hemodynamically unstable pelvic ring injuries

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Complex traumatic pelvic ring disruptions are associated with a high mortality rate due to associated retroperitoneal hemorrhage, traumatic-hemorrhagic shock, and postinjury coagulopathy. The present review provides an update on current management strategies to improve survival rates form hemodynamically unstable pelvic ring injuries.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recently published international consensus guidelines have attempted to standardize the classification of hemodynamically unstable pelvic ring injuries and provided classification-based management algorithms for acute resuscitation and pelvic ring stabilization.

SUMMARY

Acute management strategies for pelvic ring disruptions with associated hemorrhagic shock include resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta for patients 'in extremis' in conjunction with point-of-care guided resuscitation for postinjury coagulopathy. Recent data indicate that a protocol of early pelvic external fixation in conjunction with direct preperitoneal pelvic packing and subsequent angioembolization in patients with ongoing hemorrhage results in significantly improved survival from retroperitoneal exsanguinating hemorrhage in at-risk patients with historic mortality rates as high as 50-60%.

Mortality associated with extremity injuries compared with other types of trauma

Background:

The aim of this study was to evaluate one-month hospital mortality in victims with injuries of the extremities.

Methods:

All accident victims admitted to the Hospital de Base in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil, during the period from July 2004 to June 2005, were evaluated in an observational study. Patients were classified using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). Patients with severe injuries of the extremities (AIS 3–4) were compared with those without injuries or with minor extremity injuries (AIS 0–2).

Results:

A total of 3489 accident victims were evaluated; 3244 (92.98%) did not suffer injuries or had minor injuries of the extremities (AIS 0–2) and 245 (7.02%) had severe injuries (AIS 3–4). Of the 245 patients with AIS 3–4 extremity injuries, 13 (5.31%) patients died, and of those without severe injuries to the extremities, 34 (1.05%) died (Fisher’s Exact test P = 0.0000, relative risk 5.063, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.707–9.467).

Conclusion:

Patients with injuries of the extremities are at greater risk of death than accident victims with other types of trauma.

Effects of changing strategies of fracture fixation on immunologic changes and systemic complications after multiple trauma: damage control orthopedic surgery

In the treatment of polytrauma patients, multiple studies have shown how the timing and the type of the initial surgery of long bone fractures influence the incidence of systemic complications. Database analyses documented that unduly long surgical procedures undertaken early after trauma increase the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), especially when femoral shaft fractures are stabilized. Animal research and prospective clinical studies also support the fact that the type of stabilization of a femoral shaft fracture may influence the systemic response to trauma. Reamed intramedullary reaming and nailing for a femoral shaft fracture is associated with an increased risk of pulmonary fat embolization from the medullary canal. This can result in pulmonary compromise if certain cofactors are also present. Modified reamers have been developed to reduce this side effect. The mediating effects are immunologic changes, varying according to the magnitude of the surgical procedure. Pro-inflammatory markers (e.g., Interleukins) may be used to assess the inflammatory response to injury as well as the magnitude of surgery and the systemic impact induced by surgery. Serum levels of such markers can be used clinically to tailor the amount of surgery that is performed to the clinical condition of the patient. The potentially negative impact of excessive surgery in high-risk patients can be avoided by using a new grading system for the assessment of the clinical status of the injured patient. Most recently, a large prospective randomized multicenter study has documented that this grading system is effective for identifying these borderline patients, and that in the borderline patient a staged surgical approach, such as temporary femoral stabilization with an external fixator, reduces the incidence of systemic complications. This work has changed the surgical management of multiply injured patients toward an approach that is tailored to the clinical condition of the patient, as indicated by well-defined clinical parameters as well as objective measurements of serum cytokine levels.

[Hindquarter amputation - a solution for pelvic disruption]

Traumatic pelvic disruptions are rare and frequently these injuries are combined with other injuries and have a high lethality. Hindquarter amputation is a lifesaving option and was performed in a 21-year-old motorcyclist with closed pelvic disruption.

[Pelvic and perineal trauma. Diagnosis and interventional radiotherapy]

The integration of multislice CT (MSCT) in the imaging of emergency trauma has led to a paradigm shift in trauma management. In case of hemodynamically instable patients, initial imaging is limited to a small set of standardized radiographs. Computed tomography is the imaging modality of choice for further diagnostic work-up. Consequently it should be used at an early stage and in a less restricted manner for complete assessment of the pelvic injury and to determine therapeutic management. The MSCT allows full assessment of bone, parenchymal, and vascular injuries in a single examination in the shortest time possible. High-resolution 3D imaging provides additional options. There is increasing support for primary use of MSCT in critically ill patients due to the comprehensive imaging it allows while maintaining a fast scan time. The potential and limitations of diagnostic imaging in pelvic ring fracture and associated injuries are explained. Indications for vascular interventions in arterial bleeding are discussed.