The incidence of myoglobinuria in patients with pneumatic trousers

The possible association between the use of pneumatic trousers and myoglobinuria was investigated. One hundred and four victims of multiple trauma were entered into a study over a three-month period. Patients who suffered serious injuries to two or more organ systems qualified for entrance into the study. Patients who arrived at the emergency department with inflated pneumatic trousers served as the test population (n = 50), and patients who did not have pneumatic trousers served as the controls (n = 54). Urine specimens were obtained from all patients just before the completion of their treatment in the emergency department. No patients in the control group had myoglobinuria 0%), and only one patient in the test group had myoglobinuria 2%). The results were not statistically significant. Myoglobinuria is not an acute complication of the use of pneumatic trousers. The presence of pneumatic trousers on a multiple-trauma patient is not an indication for routine screening for myoglobinuria in the emergency department.