A clinical assessment of preperitoneal packing adequacy for pelvic fracture bleeding control

Background

This study aimed to objectively assess the laparotomy pads to potential hemorrhage sites proximity in pelvic fracture patients who underwent post-pre peritoneal packing (PPP) CT scans with packs in situ.

Methods

The CT scans of 19 patients were assessed to measure the distance between laparotomy pads and predetermined pelvic anatomical landmarks.

Results

A total of 38 measurements showed that the median pack-to-point distance for the sacroiliac joint was 2.7 cm (IQR, 2.1-4.0), for the common iliac artery 4.1 cm (IQR, 3.2-5.0), for the external iliac artery 0 cm (IQR, 0.0-0.2), for the internal iliac artery 0.1 cm (IQR, 0-0.7), and for the iliac bifurcation 2.0 cm (IQR, 1.7-3.9). There were 60 % direct contact measurements for the iliac arteries.

Conclusion

This study shows that with adequately executed PPP a reasonable proximity of laparotomy packs to the potential bleeding sites to provide tamponade for arresting hemorrhage may be achieved.

Preperitoneal pelvic packing in isolated severe pelvic fractures is associated with higher mortality and venous thromboembolism: A matched-cohort study

INTRODUCTION

Preperitoneal pelvic packing (PPP) has been advocated as a damage control procedure for pelvic fracture bleeding, despite of weak evidence.

METHODS

Matched cohort study, TQIP database. Patients with isolated severe blunt pelvic fractures (pelvis abbreviated injury score [AIS] ​≥ ​3, AIS ≤2 in all other body regions) were included. Patients who underwent PPP were matched to patients with no PPP, 1:3 nearest propensity score. Matching was performed based on demographics, vital signs on admission, comorbidities, injury characteristics, type and timing of initiation of VTE prophylaxis, and additional procedures including laparotomy, REBOA, and angioembolization.

RESULTS

64 patients with PPP were matched with 182 patients with No-PPP. PPP patients had higher in-hospital mortality (14.1 ​% vs 2.2 ​% p ​< ​0.001) and higher rates of VTE and DVT (VTE: 14.1 ​% vs 4.4 ​% p ​= ​0.018, DVT: 10.9 ​% vs 2.2 ​% p ​= ​0.008).

CONCLUSION

PPP is associated with worse survival outcomes and increased rate of VTE and DVT complications.

Internal iliac artery ligation as a damage control method in hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures: A systematic review of the literature

PURPOSE

Internal iliac artery ligation (IIAL) has been used as a damage control procedure to treat hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture for many years. However, there is ongoing debate regarding the effectiveness and safety of this hemostatic method. Therefore, we performed a systematic literature review to assess the efficacy and safety of IIAL for pelvic fracture hemostasis.

METHODS

Three major databases, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar, were searched to screen eligible original studies published in English journals. Two reviewers independently read the titles, abstracts, and full texts of all literature. Articles were included if they reported the use and effects of IIAL.

RESULTS

A total of 171 articles were initially identified, with 22 fully meeting the inclusion criteria. Among the analyzed cases, up to 66.7% of patients had associated abdominal and pelvic organ injuries, with the urethra being the most frequently injured organ, followed by the bowel. The outcomes of IIAL for achieving hemostasis in pelvic fractures were found to be satisfactory, with an effective rate of 80%. Hemorrhagic shock was the leading cause of death, followed by craniocerebral injury. Notably, no reports of ischemic complications involving the pelvic organs due to IIAL were found.

CONCLUSION

IIAL has a good effect in treating hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture without the risk of pelvic organ ischemia. This procedure should be considered a priority for hemodynamically unstable pelvic fracture patients with abdominal organ injuries.

RESUSCITATIVE RECTAL BALLOON COMPRESSION COMBINED WITH PELVIC BINDER EFFICIENTLY CONTROLLED FATAL VENOUS HEMORRHAGE IN A HEMODYNAMICALLY UNSTABLE PELVIC FRACTURE CANINE MODEL

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study evaluated the feasibility of a combination of pelvic binder and rectal balloon compression in managing fatal venous hemorrhage in a canine model of pelvic fracture. Methods: Rectums from humans (rectal cancer patients), swine, and canines were retrieved to determine their elasticity by measuring their stress and strain. Canines were selected as the animal model in this study because their rectum demonstrated more reversible strain than swine rectum. Doppler ultrasound was used to assess the effect of rectal balloon volume on the blood flow of pelvic iliac blood vessels in three canines. A rectal balloon of 250 mL was chosen to control pelvic venous bleeding as it could provide a peak effect in reducing the blood flow of bilateral internal iliac veins. Then, the open-book pelvic fracture with fatal bleeding of both internal iliac veins animal model was built. The animals were divided into four groups after the modeled surgery to undergo no treatment, pelvic binder, rectal balloon compression, or a combination of pelvic binder and rectal balloon compression. The treatment efficacy was evaluated based on their survival time, survival rate, blood loss, bleeding rate, infusion rate, blood pH, lactate concentration, the stability of hemodynamics, blood loss, and fluid infusion volume. Results: Our results showed that after the reproducible injuries in both internal iliac veins, the combination of pelvic binder and rectal balloon compression was associated with the best survival rate and survival time compared with the other treatment groups. In addition, the combination of pelvic binder and rectal balloon compression exhibited more stable hemodynamics than the pelvic binder or rectal balloon compression treatment alone. Conclusions: This study demonstrated the potential feasibility of using pelvic binder combined with rectal balloon compression to manage the fatal venous bleeding in pelvic fractures.

Preperitoneal Packing for Pelvic Fracture Bleeding Control: A Human Cadaver Study

BACKGROUND

Preperitoneal packing (PPP) has been widely accepted as a damage control technique for severe bleeding from pelvic fractures. It is supposed to work by direct compression and tamponade of the bleeding source in the pelvis and it has been suggested to be effective for both venous and arterial bleeding. However, there is little evidence to support its efficacy or the ability to place the laparotomy pads in proximity of the desired location.

METHODS

Bilateral PPP was performed on 10 fresh human cadavers, followed by laparotomy and measurements of resultant pad placement in relation to critical anatomic structures.

RESULTS

A total of 20 assessments of laparotomy pad placement were performed. Following completion of PPP, a midline laparotomy was performed to determine proximity and closest distance of the laparotomy pads to sites of potential bleeding in pelvic fractures. In almost all cases, the pad placement was not contiguous with the key anatomic structure with mean placement 3.9 + 1.1 cm from the sacroiliac joint, 3.5 + 1.6 cm from the common iliac artery, 1.1 + 1.2 cm from the external iliac artery, 2.8 + 0.8 cm from the internal iliac artery, and 2.3 + 1.2 cm from the iliac bifurcation. Surgeon experience resulted in improved placement relative to the sacroiliac joint, however the pads still did not directly contact the target point.

CONCLUSION

This human cadaver study has shown that PPP, even in experienced hands, may not be placed in significant proximity of anatomical structures of interest. The role of PPP needs to be revisited with better clinical or human cadaver studies.

Positive impact of trauma center to exsanguinating pelvic bone fracture patient survival: A Korean trauma center study

Background:

Trauma center and multidisciplinary management protocols have been proven to improve the outcomes of severely injured patients. Hemorrhage from pelvic injury is associated with high mortality and is a common cause of preventable trauma death. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the establishment of a trauma center and management protocols on the outcomes of hemodynamically unstable patients with pelvic fractures.

Methods:

Hemodynamically unstable patients with pelvic fractures were reviewed retrospectively over a 10-year period. They were grouped into the pre-phase and post-phase, which were defined as before and after the establishment of a trauma center and protocols, respectively. Basic characteristics and outcomes were compared between periods.

Results:

This study enrolled a total of 106 patients. Basic and physiological characteristics were not significantly different in both phases. Pre-peritoneal packing and resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of aorta were only performed in the post-phase (pre-peritoneal packing, N = 27; resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of aorta, N = 10). In the post-phase, the time from emergency department arrival to hemostatic intervention was significantly shorter (269 ± 132.4 min vs 147.2 ± 95.5 min, p < 0.0001), and mortality due to acute hemorrhage was significantly lower (p = 0.003; absolute risk reduction: 0.22; relative risk reduction: 0.72). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age, injury severity score, and the pre-phase as independent risk factors for mortality.

Conclusion:

The establishment of a trauma center and multidisciplinary management protocols, such as pre-peritoneal packing and resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of aorta, improved the outcomes of hemodynamically unstable patients with pelvic fractures.

Pelvic fracture-related hypotension: A review of contemporary adjuncts for hemorrhage control

ABSTRACT

Major pelvic hemorrhage remains a considerable challenge of modern trauma care associated with mortality in over a third of patients. Efforts to improve outcomes demand continued research into the optimal employment of both traditional and newer hemostatic adjuncts across the full spectrum of emergent care environments. The purpose of this review is to provide a concise description of the rationale for and effective use of currently available adjuncts for the control of pelvic hemorrhage. In addition, the challenges of defining the optimal order and algorithm for employment of these adjuncts will be outlined.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Review, level IV.

Letter to the Editor: Non-selective bilateral internal iliac artery embolization is a safe and effective way in hemorrhage control for hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures

A recently published article by Lai et al. in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders trying to show that patients with pelvic fractures undergoing non-selective internal iliac artery embolization may lead to a higher rate of surgical site infection. The authors also noted that only a small percentage of patients with contrast extravasation detected by emergency contrast-enhanced CT were subsequently confirmed by angiography, thus, considered that the value of enhanced CT in predicting arterial injury was limited. The authors also believe that embolization of the main stem may cause incomplete hemostasis due to the abundant collateral circulations in the pelvic cavity. Although the author’s findings are mentioned in other studies, the article’s data and pictures only partially supported its inferences, and the conclusions cannot be drawn directly. In this Correspondence, we tried to reinterpret the additional findings in the article from our perspective. Through this discussion, we hope that more colleagues can re-understand the safety and effectiveness of non-selective internal iliac artery embolization in treating hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures during the early resuscitation stage.

A comparison on the detection accuracy of ante mortem computed tomography vs. autopsy for the diagnosis of pelvic ring injury in legal medicine

A detailed knowledge on the exact morphology of pelvic injuries provided crucial information in understanding the mechanisms of injury and has influence on the natural course and subsequent mortality. However, forensic medical literature investigating pelvic fractures in detail is scarce to date. This case series aims to compare the accuracy in detecting pelvic injuries using autopsy and ante mortem computed tomography (CT). Nineteen deceased patients with CT scans of pelvic fractures were included retrospectively. Pelvic injuries were independently assessed by a board-certified radiologist (R) and a board-certified trauma surgeon (T), both using the ante mortem CT scans, and by a board-certified forensic pathologist using autopsy (A) results without knowledge of the CT scan findings. No patient had died causatively from a pelvic fracture. Most injuries of the pelvis were present in the pubic rami (16/18) and sacral bone (13/18), followed by the sacroiliac joint (9/18) and iliac bone fractures (8/18). Ilium fractures (A:100%;R:67%;T:67%) and injuries of the sacroiliac joint (A:83%;R:50%;T:42%) were best detected via autopsy. The diagnosis of sacral fractures (A:19%;R:94%;T:88%) and fractures of the pubic rami (A:67%;R:96%;T:96%) were most often missed in autopsy. The results show deficits in the assessment of the pelvic injury for both CT and autopsy. Autopsy was superior in detecting injuries of the sacroiliac joint, but inferior in detecting sacral and pubic bone fractures. For an encompassing evaluation of ligamento-skeletal pelvic injuries, the complementary use of both CT and autopsy is recommended.

Is computed tomography cystography indicated in children with pelvic fractures?

PURPOSE

Pelvic fracture evaluation with abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) and formal CT cystography for rule out of urine bladder injury have been commonly employed in pediatric trauma patients. The additional delayed imaging required to obtain optimal CT cystography is, however, associated with increased doses of ionizing radiation to pelvic organs and represent a significant risk in the pediatric population for future carcinogenic risk. We hypothesized that avoidance of routine CT cystography among pediatric pelvic fracture victims would not result in an appreciable rate of missed bladder injuries and would aid in mitigating the radiation exposure risk associated with these additional images.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study involving blunt trauma pelvic fractures among pediatric trauma patients (age<14) between the years 1997 and 2016 was conducted utilizing the Israeli National Trauma Registry. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS statistical software version 9.4 via the tests of Chi-square test and two-sided Fisher's exact test. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

A total of 1072 children were identified from the registry for inclusion. Mean age of patients was 7.7 years (range 0-14) and 713 (66.5%) were male. Overall mortality in this population was 4.1% (44/1072). Only 2.1% (23) of pediatric patients with pelvic fractures had bladder injury identified, with just 9 children having intraperitoneal bladder rupture (0.8% of all the patients).

CONCLUSION

The vast majority of blunt pediatric trauma victims with pelvic fractures do not have urine bladder injuries. Based on our study results we do not recommend the routine utilization of CT cystography in this unique population.