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Pre-peritoneal pelvic packing for the management of life-threatening pelvic fractures

  • Review Article
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European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Pre-peritoneal pelvic packing (PPP) is a technique used for treating pelvic hemorrhage in patients with pelvic fractures and hemodynamic instability after a high-energy trauma representing a life-threatening situation. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive review of the literature.

Methods

A review of the medical literature was performed, based on the following inclusion criteria: patients sustaining pelvic fractures with hemodynamic instability and the inclusion of PPP as a tool for hemorrhage control. Articles not involving human patients, review articles, surveys, pediatric patients, hemodynamic stability, case reports, and not directly related publications; such as angiography with or without embolization, and REBOA use for hemorrhage control as a primary outcome evaluation were excluded from this search.

Results

Eleven articles out of seventy-seven identified publications between 2008 and 2018 met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review.

Conclusions

PPP is a surgical approach used in life-threatening situations due to pelvic fracture with high risk of death for exsanguination. Performed expediently, good results can be obtained with a decrease in the need for blood products, improved systolic blood pressure, and a decrease in mortality rates overall. This makes PPP an important life-saving tool.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, NYU Winthrop Hospital, 222 Station Plaza North, Suite 603, Mineola, NY, 11501, USA

    Patrizio Petrone, Martín Rodríguez-Perdomo, Aida Pérez-Jiménez, Fahd Ali, Collin Everton Montgomery Brathwaite & D’Andrea Krista Joseph

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  1. Patrizio Petrone
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Correspondence to Patrizio Petrone.

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Patrizio Petrone, Martín Rodríguez-Perdomo, Aida Pérez-Jiménez, Fahd Ali, Collin Everton Montgomery Brathwaite, and D’Andrea Krista Joseph declare that they have not conflict of interest.

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Petrone, P., Rodríguez-Perdomo, M., Pérez-Jiménez, A. et al. Pre-peritoneal pelvic packing for the management of life-threatening pelvic fractures. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 45, 417–421 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-018-1018-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00068-018-1018-4

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