[Life-threatening hemorrhage in pelvic fractures of polytraumatized patients. Diagnostic issues and embolization...

Between 1984-1987 6 multiple trauma patients with pelvic fractures and bleeding from pelvic vessels were treated by transcatheter embolization. Although diagnosis and therapy were early in two cases, there was an overall time delay of median 17 hours (1-38 h) until localisation of bleeding lesions. In this period multiple transfusions (median: 33.7 units of packed erythrocytes, 14.5 units of fresh frozen plasma) could not control hemorrhage. After successful transcatheter embolization circulation stabilized immediately and durably. 4 patients died, 2 of them from septic-toxic multi-organ-failure.