ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a case study of a 38-year-old motorcyclist who is brought to the Emergency Department as a trauma call. This patient has a fracture of the left iliac wing, acetabulum and pubic rami. Fractures of the pelvis are classified by the mechanism of injury. Pelvic injuries may be associated with significant haemorrhage. Management of this patient should follow the step-wise approach as detailed by Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS). Volume loss from bleeding should be replaced with either crystalloid or blood according to haemodynamic status. Permissive hypotension or balanced resuscitation may be employed to prevent dislodging primary clots. Stable patients may be suited to angiographic embolisation in the interventional radiography suite. The definitive management of pelvic fractures is surgical. They may be temporarily stabilised with an external fixator to allow access to the abdomen and other life-threatening injuries to be treated before definitive operative management.
