title: Management and outcome of open pelvic fractures: a retrospective study of 41 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Open pelvic fractures occur uncommonly. Despite serious sequelae, they have been infrequently reviewed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective review of all patients with open pelvic fractures in our department from January 2001 to April 2010.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-one patients (32 men, 9 women) with these injuries were identified. The average Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 31.4, with 80% of patients having a score ≥16. The average blood transfusion in the first 24h was 17.2 units, and the average hospital stay was 60 days. Overall mortality was 24% (n=10): 3 early deaths and 7 late deaths. Factors associated with overall mortality by univariate analysis were ISS, RTS, GCS, age, pelvic sepsis, Gustilo classification of soft-tissue injury, and Young classification of bony fracture. Factors associated with late mortality by univariate analysis were: ISS, RTS, pelvic sepsis, Gustilo classification of soft-tissue injury, and blood transfusion in the first 24 h. Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that only RTS was independently associated with both overall and late mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite treatment advances, mortality rates remain high in patients with open pelvic fractures. The urogenital and/or intra-abdominal injuries are not associated with mortality. RTS≤8 might be a predictor of poor outcome in open pelvic fractures patients. Open reduction and internal fixation might be used in those unstable pelvic fractures without gross contamination in the fracture region after extensive cleansing and lavage. More emphasis needs to be placed on this injury complex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 324 Jing Wu Road, 250021 Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Jin-lei
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Dong-sheng
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D005597:Fractures, Open / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D012007:Rectum / Q000293:injuries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology; D017695:Soft Tissue Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000293:injuries; D055815:Young Adult