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Pelvic Injuries and Spinal Injuries

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Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Disaster Management

Abstract

The worldwide increasing frequency of mass casualty situations after combat and terrorist explosion or natural disasters is characterized by large number of casualties, variety of injuries, dangerous environmental conditions, and raised medical involvement demands. Ocular, cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and musculoskeletal systems are severely affected and are managed differently. Pelvic and spinal injuries are very common during these situations, and they require immediate and effective therapeutic approaches. Comprehension of injury physiology in conjunction with focused medical history, targeted physical examination, and radiographic findings allow early and accurate diagnosis and treatment. Primary cervical, spinal, and pelvic immobilization with external fixation systems and damage control resuscitation must be performed. Additional treatment priorities are the management of open wounds and soft tissue traumas and the prevention of infections and sepsis. The coordination between different medical specialization teams may increase the therapeutic efficacy. Awareness of diagnostic and management protocols for these injuries is absolutely necessary for the emergency medical staff.

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Savvidou, O., Kaspiris, A., Papagelopoulos, P.J. (2021). Pelvic Injuries and Spinal Injuries. In: Pikoulis, E., Doucet, J. (eds) Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Disaster Management. Hot Topics in Acute Care Surgery and Trauma. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34116-9_24

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34116-9_24

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-34115-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-34116-9

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