title: Concurrent rib and pelvic fractures as an indicator of solid abdominal organ injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the association of solid organ injuries (SOIs) in patients with concurrent rib and pelvic fractures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from November 2007 to May 2010. Patients' demographics, mechanism of injury, Injury severity scoring, pelvic fracture, and SOIs were analyzed. Patients with SOIs were compared in rib fractures with and without pelvic fracture.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 829 patients (460 with rib fractures ± pelvic fracture and 369 with pelvic fracture alone) with mean age of 35 ± 12.7 years. Motor vehicle crashes (45%) and falls from height (30%) were the most common mechanism of injury. The overall incidence of SOIs in this study was 22% (185/829). Further, 15% of patient with rib fractures had associated pelvic fracture. SOI was predominant in patients with concurrent rib fracture and pelvic fracture compared to ribs or pelvic fractures alone (42% vs. 26% vs. 15%, respectively, p = 0.02).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concurrent multiple rib fractures and pelvic fracture increases the risk of SOI compared to either group alone. Lower RFs and pelvic fracture had higher association for SOI and could be used as an early indicator of the presence of SOIs.
authors.affiliation: Section of Trauma Surgery, Hamad General Hospital, Qatar. TraumaResearch@hmc.org.qa
authors.forename: Ammar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Hassani
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Afifi
authors.forename: Husham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abdelrahman
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Menyar
authors.forename: Ammar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almadani
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Recicar
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Thani
authors.forename: Kimball
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maull
authors.forename: Rifat
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Latifi
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D011780:Qatar / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012253:Rib Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*