Routine pelvic radiography in severe blunt trauma: is it necessary?
Civil ID, Ross SE, Botehlo G and Schwab CW.
Ann Emerg Med 17(5):488-490. (1988)
To evaluate the hypothesis that all victims of severe blunt trauma require a pelvic radiograph, we prospectively studied all such patients admitted to the Southern New Jersey Regional Trauma Center during a seven-month period. All patients were classified as unconscious; impaired; awake, alert, and symptomatic; or alert, oriented, and asymptomatic for pelvic fracture on admission. All underwent a plain anterior- posterior radiograph of the pelvis. A total of 265 patients were studied and 26 pelvic fractures were identified. These occurred in seven of 36 unconscious patients, 11 of 96 impaired patients, and eight of 23 symptomatic patients. No fractures were identified in 110 awake, alert, oriented, and asymptomatic patients (P less than .0001). We conclude that pelvic radiographs are required in unconscious or impaired victims of severe blunt trauma and those with signs or symptoms of pelvic fractures but are not required in the awake, alert, and asymptomatic patient.
Utility of routine pelvic X-ray during blunt trauma resuscitation.
Gillott A, Rhodes M and Lucke J
J Trauma 28(11): 1570-1574. (1988).
To assess the utility of a routine pelvic X-ray in resuscitation of blunt trauma patients, 669 patients were studied prospectively over a 2-year period. One hundred twelve patients (16.7% ) had positive pelvic X-rays (PPX). When compared with the negative pelvic X-ray group (NPX), the PPX group had a significantly higher mean Injury Severity Score, 24-hour mean requirement for blood and component therapy, and higher incidence of associated injury of chest and abdomen. Despite the higher injury parameters, the mortality between the groups was not significantly different. When compared with five standard resuscitative assessment variables, a pelvic X-ray performed as an additional predictor of injury severity and 24-hour blood requirement. A pelvic X-ray should be performed routinely in victims of blunt trauma as part of the early resuscitation X-ray protocol since a positive finding has immediate prognostic and therapeutic implications.