title: Base excess determined within one hour of admission predicts mortality in patients with severe pelvic fractures and severe hemorrhagic shock.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Unstable pelvic ring fractures with exsanguinating hemorrhages are rare but potentially lifethreatening injuries. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether early changes in acid- base parameters predict mortality of patients with severe pelvic trauma and hemorrhagic shock.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for 50 patients with pelvic ring disruption and severe hemorrhage were analyzed retrospectively. In all patients, the pelvic ring was temporarily stabilized by C-clamp. Patients with ongoing bleeding underwent laparotomy with extra and/or intraperitoneal pelvic packing, as required. Base excess, lactate, and pH were measured upon admission and at 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h postadmission. Patients were categorized as early survivors (surviving the first 12 h after admission) and nonsurvivors. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney test; significance was assumed at p < 0.05. Receiver operating characteristic curves were generated for early mortality from each acid-base variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixteen patients (32%) were nonsurvivors due to hemorrhagic shock (n = 13) or severe traumatic brain injury (n = 3). Thirty-four patients were early survivors. Base excess, lactate, and pH significantly discriminated between early survivors and nonsurvivors. Base excess determined 1 h after admission discriminated most strongly, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.915 (95% confidence interval, 0.836-0.993; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Base excess, lactate, and pH discriminate early survivors from nonsurvivors suffering from severe pelvic trauma and hemorrhagic shock. Base excess measured 1 h after admission best predicted early mortality following pelvic trauma with concomitant hemorrhage.
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Rahel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abt
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. thomas.lustenberger5@bluewin.ch.|Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Zürich, Raemistrasse 100, 8091, Zürich, Switzerland. thomas.lustenberger5@bluewin.ch.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lustenberger
authors.affiliation: Surgical Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Stover
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Benninger
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Philipp M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Lenzlinger
authors.affiliation: Surgical Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stocker
authors.affiliation: Center for Clinical Research, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keel
keywords: Base excess; Hemorrhage; Lactate; Mortality; pH
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