• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2012

Purpose: This study analyzed the characteristics of unstable pelvic bone fractures associated with intra-abdominal solid organ injury. Methods: Medical records were retrospectively collected from January 2000 to December 2010 for patients with unstable pelvic bone fractures. Unstable pelvic bone fracture was defined as lateral compression types II and III, antero-posterior compression types II and III, vertical shear and combined type by young classification. Subjects were divided into two groups, with (injured group) and without (non-injured group) intra-abdominal solid organ injury, to evaluate whether the characteristics of the fractured depended on the presence of associated solid organ injury. Data included demographics, mechanism of injury, initial hemodynamic status, laboratory results, revised trauma score (RTS), abbreviated injury scale (AIS), injury severity score (ISS), amount of transfusion, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU), and mortality. Results: The subjects were 217 patients with a mean age of 44 years and included 134 male patients(61.8%). The injured group included 38 patients(16.9%). Traffic accidents were the most common mechanism of injury, and lateral compression was the most common type of fracture in all groups. The initial blood pressure was lower in the injured group, and the ISS was greater. The arterial pH was lower in the injured group, and shock within 24 hours after arrival at the emergency department was more frequent in the injured group. The amount of the transfused packed red blood cells within 24 hours was higher in the injured group than the non-injured group. Invasive treatment, including surgery and angiographic embolization, was more common in the injured group, and the stay in the ICU was longer in the injured group. Conclusion: A need exists to decide on a diagnostic and therapeutic plan regarding the possibility of intra-abdominal solid organ injury for hemodynamically unstable patients with unstable pelvic bone fractures and multiple associated injuries.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.70-79
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• 2005

Background: Abdominal compartment syndrome has multiple etiologies that are not only related to trauma but also any problem condition in the absence of abdominal injury. To determine whether prevention of the abdominal compartment syndrome after celiotomy for trauma victims justifies the use of temporary abdominal coverage with monofilament knitted polypropylene mesh (Malex mesh) in severely injured patients. Method: Medical records at the Ajou University Medical Center were reviewed for a 32-month period from May 1st, 2002 to December 31st, 2004. Twenty-nine consecutive patients requiring celiotomy who were survived until at the end of celiotomy received temporary abdominal coverage and staged abdominal repairs with Malex mesh. One of them was dissecting aortic aneurysm patient and the others were all trauma victims. Malex mesh prosthesis coverage was used in cases of abdominal compartment syndrome due to excessive fascial tension, severe bowel edema and retroperitoneal hemorrhage or edema followed by staged abdominal repairs. Result: Eighteen of twenty-nine patients were survived. Demographic characteristics, injury severity number of abdominal-pelvic bone injuries, mortality rate, complications, number of operations for permanent closure, required time for permanent closure showed no difference between man and women or child and adult. Except one dissecting aortic aneurysm patient, trauma cases showed $3.24{\pm}0.98$ injury sites. All cases that received temporary abdominal coverage and staged abdominal repairs did not show abdominal compartment syndrome. $10.08{\pm}5.85$ days and $2.27{\pm}0.82$ times of operation required making permanent abdominal closure after temporary abdominal coverage followed by staged abdominal repairs. Most of surviving patients have shown antibiotic-resistant organism and fungus infection. Patients who received permanent closure recovered from infectious problem completely. Conclusion: The use of Malex mesh for temporary abdominal coverage in severely injured patients undergoing celiotomy was effective treatment method.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.159-163
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• 2011

Massive bleeding due to traumatic pelvic bone fracture is a leading cause of death. Thus, several methods to control bleeding have been attempted, but none of these has yet been clearly established. After an automobile accident, a 34-year-old motorist was admitted to the Emergency Department for right hip,leg and abdominal pain. Because the patient's pressure remained consistently low and pelvic bone fracture and abdominal bleeding were found on radiologic examination, an explorative laparotomy was performed. After pelvic packing and bleeding control, bleeding still continued, so Angiography was performed, and arterial embolization for bleeding was performed.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.207-218
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• 2020

The following recommendations are presented herein: All trauma patients admitted to the resuscitation room should be constantly (or periodically) monitored for parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, body temperature, electrocardiography, Glasgow Coma Scale, and pupil reflex (1C). Chest AP and pelvic AP should be performed as the standard initial trauma series for severe trauma patients (1B). In patients with severe hemodynamically unstable trauma, it is recommended to perform extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma (eFAST) as an initial examination (1B). In hemodynamically stable trauma patients, eFAST can be considered as the initial examination (2B). For the diagnosis of suspected head trauma patients, brain computed tomography (CT) should be performed as an initial examination (1B). Cervical spine CT should be performed as an initial imaging test for patients with suspected cervical spine injury (1C). It is not necessary to perform chest CT as an initial examination in all patients with suspected chest injury, but in cases of suspected vascular injury in patients with thoracic or high-energy damage due to the mechanism of injury, chest CT can be considered for patients in a hemodynamically stable condition (2B). CT of the abdomen is recommended for patients suspected of abdominal trauma with stable vital signs (1B). CT of the abdomen should be considered for suspected pelvic trauma patients with stable vital signs (2B). Whole-body CT can be considered in patients with suspicion of severe trauma with stable vital signs (2B). Magnetic resonance imaging can be considered in hemodynamically stable trauma patients with suspected spinal cord injuries (2B).

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.6-11
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• 2018

Purpose: The diagnosis of pelvic fractures pattern has become to be essential in the decision making of treatment modality and reducing morbidity and mortality in multiple trauma patients. Sacroiliac joint (SIJ) disruption can cause life-threatening massive arterial bleeding. This study aimed to determine a method of predicting the prognosis and treatment direction with pelvis X-ray alone in the emergency room. We investigated whether SIJ disruption can be used alone as a poor prognostic factor. Methods: We analyzed the medical records and radiologic examination results of 167 patients with pelvic fractures from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2016 retrospectively. Patients with pathologic fractures, thoraco-abdominal bleeding, and acetabulum fractures and pediatric patients (n=63) were excluded. Factors related to the clinical manifestations and treatments, such as transfusion and surgery, were statistically compared. Results: The cross-sectional analysis showed that there was no correlation between SIJ injury and sex; there were statistically significant relationships between occurrences of shock, conjoined fractures, transfusion, and surgeries. The hospitalization period and partial thromboplastin time and prothrombin time values increased. The logistic regression analysis showed that when an SIJ injury occurred, blood transfusion and hypotension possibilities increased. Conclusions: When pelvic fractures occur near the SIJ, blood transfusion and shock possibilities increase. Physicians must be aware of the high severity and poor prognosis of such fractures when these are diagnosed in the emergency room. And furthermore, the physician has to predict and prepare the intensive care and multidisciplinary approaches.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.261-264
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• 2023

Pancreatic trauma occurs in 0.2% of patients with blunt trauma and 5% of severe abdominal injuries, which are associated with high mortality rates (up to 60%). Traumatic pancreatoduodenectomy (PD) has significant morbidity and appreciable mortality owing to complicating factors, associated injuries, and shock. The initial reconstruction in patients with severe pancreatic injuries aggravates their status by causing hypothermia, coagulopathy, and acidosis, which increase the risk for early mortality. A staging operation in which PD follows damage control surgery is a good option for hemodynamically unstable patients. We report the case of a patient who was treated by staging PD for an injured pancreatic head.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.27 no.4
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• pp.211-214
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• 2014

A 34-year-old woman experienced a sudden cardiac arrest after complaining of abdominal pain. The cause of that serious event was a hidden hemorrhagic shock. On computed tomography of her pelvic area, we found that her left common iliac artery had been ruptured. No bone fractures were observed. Her angiography showed neither atherosclerosis nor an aneurysm of the artery. Because spontaneous ruptures of the common iliac artery are rare, we suspected, based on her husband's statement, that a hidden blunt trauma to the artery had occurred via an endo-vaginal route due to dildo masturbation. Unfortunately, she died without recovery, in spite of our having controlled the bleeding by using an angiographic endovascular stent-graft.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.417-422
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• 2019

Hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures show a remarkably high mortality rate of 40% to 60%. However, their standard of care remains controversial. We report here a case of a 78-year-old woman who was admitted to the Emergency Department with pelvic pain following a fall. Based on pelvic radiography, she was diagnosed with an unstable pelvic fracture. Her blood pressure was 60/40 mmHg, and owing to her unstable vital signs, emergency angiography was performed without computed tomography (CT). Both internal iliac arteries were embolized without sub-branch selection for prompt control of pelvic bleeding. Following embolization, her vital signs were stabilized. Subsequent CT revealed free intra-abdominal air, suggesting bowel perforation had occurred and necessitating emergency laparotomy. An approximately 1 cm-sized free perforation of the small intestine was identified intraoperatively, and primary closure was performed. A retroperitoneal hematoma identified intraoperatively was not explored further because it was a non-expanding and non-pulsatile mass. The patient was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit and transferred to the general ward on postoperative day 3. In this case, the hemodynamically stable pelvic fracture with bowel perforation was successfully and safely treated by prompt angioembolization without conducting CT.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.19-24
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• 2022

Purpose: The current study aimed to report the perioperative complications of the modified Stoppa approach for the treatment of pelvic bone fractures. Methods: We analyzed 48 consecutive operations in 45 patients who were treated with internal fixation using the modified Stoppa approach between March 2016 and July 2018. This included three revision operations. The mean age of the patients was 54.5 years, and the patients included 35 male patients and 10 female patients. All fractures occurred as a consequence of high-energy trauma and 70.3% had associated injuries at the time of the fracture. The mean Injury Severity Score was 9.03±5.60. The perioperative complications found during and immediately after surgery were recorded and were classified into three categories: vascular injuries, nerve injuries, and other complications. Results: Overall, 14 perioperative complications (29.2%) in 14 cases were identified. The most common complications were nerve injuries, which occurred in seven cases, all involving the obturator nerve. Uncontrollable vascular injuries occurred in six cases, which required additional incisions and support of vascular surgeons or postoperative interventions. Additionally, one case of peritoneal tearing occurred, which required help from an abdominal surgeon. Conclusions: While the modified Stoppa approach seems to be a viable method to treat pelvic fractures, significant perioperative complications may occur, suggesting that surgeons should pay careful attention to minimize the damage to other structures and that appropriate support from other surgical departments is paramount.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.8-14
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• 2008

Iatrogenic ureteral injury is a complication that can occur during a variety of pelvic or abdominal surgeries. The most frequent causes are gynecological ones, followed by colon and vascular surgeries. Management of ureteric injury depends on the time of diagnosis and the severity of organ damage. Injuries diagnosed intraoperatively should be treated immediately. Occasionally, intraoperative ureteral injury is overlooked, and symptoms of the late diagnosis of ureteral injury are usually nonspecific; therefore, the diagnosis is delayed for days or weeks postoperatively. Management of injuries diagnosed postoperatively is more complex. There are differing opinions on whether an initial conservative or immediate operative intervention is the best line of action. Delayed repair is suggested on the grounds that it will reduce inflammation and tissue edema. However, many authors are in favor of early repair, perhaps because tissue planes are easier to find before fibrosis becomes too dense. Ureteral injuries occurring at the level of the pelvic brim should be best managed with an end-to-end anastomosis, preferably around a ureteric stent. More distal injuries also should be ideally managed with an end-to-end anastomosis, after excision of the crushed or compromised segments. However, if the remaining distal segment is short, ureteral reimplantation is the procedure of choice. The Boari flap technique for ureteral reimplantation is invaluable in cases with a short proximal segment. Delayed recognition of iatrogenic ureteral injury may be associated with serious complications, so prompt recognition of ureteral injuries is important. Recognition of the injury before closure is the key to easy, successful, and complications-free repair. Increased awareness of the risk for ureteral damage during certain operative maneuvers is vital to prevent injury, and to decrease the incidence of iatrogenic injury. A sound knowledge of abdominal and pelvic anatomy is the best prevention.