title: Predictors of early outcome in unstable pelvic fractures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To define the preoperative and intraoperative variables which may affect the immediate postoperative outcome in surgically managed patients with unstable pelvic fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was performed prospectively from January 2009 to June 2011 on 36 consecutive patients admitted to the trauma ward of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, with unstable pelvic injuries.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the present study of 36 patients, 29 were managed surgically. Surgical duration was 2 hours in patients operated on within 1 week and 3.4 hours in those operated on after 1 week. The blood loss was 550 ml when surgery was done after a week, but when done within a week it was 350 ml. The average blood loss through Pfanenstial approach was 360 ml, through posterior approach was 408 ml and through combined approach was 660 ml which was significantly high.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anterior approach to the pelvis would cause significantly more amount of blood loss than posterior approach and external fixation. Surgical approaches do not have any influence on the surgical duration or the infection rate. The blood loss significantly increases when the surgical time is more than 1 h. The infection rate is not influenced by the duration of surgery. Presence or absence of associated injuries to the head, chest or abdomen is the main determinants of patient's survival and it greatly influences the duration of hospital stay.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.
authors.forename: Ramesh-K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sen
authors.forename: Nirmal-Raj
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Gopinathan
authors.forename: Tajir
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tamuk
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Vibhu
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.forename: Radheshyam
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sament
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome