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Abdominopelvic bleed rate on admission CT correlates with mortality and transfusion needs in the setting of blunt pelvic fractures: a single institution pilot study

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Abstract

Purpose

The objectives of this study were to calculate the total volumetric rate of abdominopelvic bleeding in patients with acute pelvic fractures and examine the relationships between the bleeding rate, patient outcomes, and required patient interventions.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study which included 29 patients from a 4-year period (May 2013 to May 2017). Patients with acute pelvic fractures and active bleeding detected on CT with two phases of imaging were included. Software was used to measure the volume of active bleeding on arterial and parenchymal phases. The active bleeding rate was calculated by dividing the change in active bleeding volume by the time between the two phases. The total volumetric bleed rate from all sites was then computed. Clinical variables were compared between survivors and non-survivors.

Results

Overall mortality in this cohort was 21% (n = 6). The mean abdominopelvic volumetric bleed rate in non-survivors was much greater than survivors (40.7 cc/min vs. 5.7 cc/min; p < 0.01). Ninety-six percent of survivors had an abdominopelvic bleed rate < 20 cc/min compared to 33% of non-survivors. An abdominopelvic bleed rate > 20 cc/min was associated with a mortality rate of 80% while a rate of < 20 cc/min was associated with a 92% survival rate. The mean pelvic hematoma volume was greater in non-survivors compared to survivors (1854 cc vs. 746 cc; p < 0.01). There was a positive association between hematoma volume and units of blood transfused (rs = 0.4, n = 29, p = 0.04).

Conclusion

An abdominopelvic bleeding rate > 20 cc/min was associated with a high risk of mortality.

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Funding

This project was supported, in part, by the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute and funded, in part, by award number UL1TR001108 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences Award. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging, University Of Texas, 6431 Fannin St, 2.130B, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    William Borror

  2. Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1801 N. Senate Blvd, MPC 1, Ste. 53, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Greg E. Gaski

  3. Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, 550 N. University Blvd., Medical Sciences Building Room 0663, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Scott Steenburg

Authors
  1. William Borror
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  2. Greg E. Gaski
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to William Borror.

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The institutional review board approved the methods and procedures for this study.

Conflicts of interest

None.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

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Borror, W., Gaski, G.E. & Steenburg, S. Abdominopelvic bleed rate on admission CT correlates with mortality and transfusion needs in the setting of blunt pelvic fractures: a single institution pilot study. Emerg Radiol 26, 37–44 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-018-1646-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-018-1646-3

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