title: Preperitoneal pelvic packing reduces mortality in patients with life-threatening hemorrhage due to unstable pelvic fractures.
abstract: A 2015 American Association for the Surgery of Trauma trial reported a 32% mortality for pelvic fracture patients in shock. Angioembolization (AE) is the most common intervention; the Maryland group revealed time to AE averaged 5 hours. The goal of this study was to evaluate the time to intervention and outcomes of an alternative approach for pelvic hemorrhage. We hypothesized that preperitoneal pelvic packing (PPP) results in a shorter time to intervention and lower mortality.
  
  
  
  In 2004, we initiated a PPP protocol for pelvic fracture hemorrhage.
  
  
  
  During the 11-year study, 2,293 patients were admitted with pelvic fractures; 128 (6%) patients underwent PPP (mean age, 44 ± 2 years; Injury Severity Score (ISS), 48 ± 1.2). The lowest emergency department systolic blood pressure was 74 mm Hg and highest heart rate was 120. Median time to operation was 44 minutes and 3 additional operations were performed in 109 (85%) patients. Median RBC transfusions before SICU admission compared with the 24 postoperative hours were 8 versus 3 units (p < 0.05). After PPP, 16 (13%) patients underwent AE with a documented arterial blush.Mortality in this high-risk group was 21%. Death was due to brain injury (9), multiple organ failure (4), pulmonary or cardiac failure (6), withdrawal of support (4), adverse physiology (3), and Mucor infection (1). Of those patients with physiologic exhaustion, 2 died in the operating room at 89 and 100 minutes after arrival, whereas 1 died 9 hours after arrival.
  
  
  
  PPP results in a shorter time to intervention and lower mortality compared with modern series using AE. Examining mortality, only 3 (2%) deaths were attributed to the immediate sequelae of bleeding with physiologic failure. With time to death under 100 minutes in 2 patients, AE is unlikely to have been feasible. PPP should be used for pelvic fracture-related bleeding in the patient who remains unstable despite initial transfusion.
  
  
  
  Therapeutic study, level IV.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Surgery (C.C.B., E.E.M., A.E.G., A.E.W., F.M.P., C.J.F., E.M.C., and J.L.J.), Denver Health Medical Center and the University of Colorado Denver, Denver, CO, and the Department of Orthopedics (P.F.S., C.M.), Denver Health Medical Center, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: Clay Cothren
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Burlew
authors.forename: Ernest E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Philip F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Stahel
authors.forename: Andrea E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Geddes
authors.forename: Amy E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Wagenaar
authors.forename: Fredric M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Pieracci
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Campion
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Cyril
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mauffrey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D005260:Female; D005592:Fracture Fixation / Q000379:methods; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy; D006489:Hemostatic Techniques; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012771:Shock, Hemorrhagic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D014193:Trauma Centers; D016896:Treatment Outcome