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Pelvic Ring Fractures: Utility of Clinical Examination in Patients with Impaired Consciousness or Tracheal Intubation

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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective:

To define the diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination in patients with impaired consciousness or endotracheal intubation to detect pelvic ring fractures and to identify those with severe bleeding.

Methods:

Included in this prospective data collection with retrolective data analysis were a consecutive series of blunt trauma victims with either a Glasgow Coma Scale ≤ 13 or tracheal intubation. Clinical examination comprised testing for stability of the iliac wings.

Results:

From 784 subjects (injury severity score 23.3 ± 17.4) 93 patients (11.9%) were found to have a pelvic ring fracture. Clinical instability of the pelvic ring was found in 42 patients. There was only one false positive. Fifty-two fractures could not be identified by clinical examination, including nine fractures (17%) that required surgical fracture stabilization (sensitivity of clinical examination 44.1%). Seventeen fractures (18.3%) were associated with a blood loss larger than 20% of circulating blood volume. Sixteen of those were identified by clinical instability of the pelvic ring (sensitivity 94.1%, specificity 97.0%, positive predictive value 38.1%, negative predictive value 99.9%).

Conclusions:

Clinical examination for stability of the pelvis in this selected group of patients missed a significant number of pelvic ring fractures including fractures that require surgical stabilization. The finding of a clinically unstable identifies most of the patients with the pelvic ring fracture being a major source of bleeding. A stable pelvis makes pelvic ring fracture as being the source of bleeding quite unlikely.

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Correspondence to Christian Waydhas MD.

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Waydhas, C., Nast-Kolb, D. & Ruchholtz, S. Pelvic Ring Fractures: Utility of Clinical Examination in Patients with Impaired Consciousness or Tracheal Intubation. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 33, 170–175 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-006-6124-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-006-6124-z

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