Management Trend for Unstable Pelvic Bone Fractures in Regional Trauma Centers: Multi-Institutional Study in the Republic of Korea

Abstract

Purpose: In the Republic of Korea, the use of trauma centers was recently adopted and is expected to have better outcome for severely injured patients. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes and treatment methods for unstable pelvic bone fractures in trauma centers. Methods: The annual number of patients, clinical outcomes, and treatment methods of unstable pelvic bone fractures in three trauma centers from 2016 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were dichotomized into survivors and deceased, and demographic data, treatment, and clinical outcomes were compared. Multivariable analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with survival.Results: Among 237 patients, 101 (42.6%) were deceased. Mortality was lower in the later period (2019- 2020) compared with the early period (2016-2018; 33.6% vs. 50.0%, <i>p</i> = 0.011). Direct admission of an increasing number of patients to trauma centers reduced prehospital time. Although the use of angioembolization in treating pelvic bone fracture (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and the use of other treatment methods did not change significantly (2016-2020). Lower age, lowest systolic blood pressure in the trauma bay, and higher lactate level, international normalized ratio, the amount of packed red blood cell transfusion at 24 hours were positively associated with mortality in the multivariate analysis.Conclusion: Increasingly more patients with unstable pelvic bone fracture were admitted to trauma centers; mortality improved. Angioembolization increased significantly and multi-disciplinary modality for early bleeding control was still essential.