The immediate treatment of pelvic ring disruption with the pelvic stabilizer

Abstract

The management of the hemodynamically unstable patient with a severe pelvic ring disruption remains one of the most serious trauma emergencies. Standard resuscitation protocols may include attempted closure of the pelvic ring by the use of pneumatic anti-shock trousers, external fixation applied in the operating room, or a sheet wrapped around the patient in the emergency room. We report a case of pelvic ring disruption in which a successful clinical outcome was achieved with the emergent use of the Pelvic Stabilizer in the emergency room. The Pelvic Stabilizer is a device that can be effectively applied in the emergency room for the acute reduction and early stabilization of the displaced pelvis in a hemodynamically unstable patient. The use of a pelvic clamp can also be effective in the acute setting for a stable trauma patient with pelvic ring disruption. It rapidly reduces and stabilizes a potential cause for patient decompensation without obstructing access to further concomitant diagnostic or therapeutic interventions in the abdomen and perineum.