Fracture of the pelvic bones - severe damage to the skeleton, threatening dangerous consequences. If the patient is not properly provided with first aid, there is a risk of paralysis of the lower extremities. With a large loss of blood, death can occur.
You should be aware of this.
The pelvis is an important system connecting the bones at the base of the spine. This is the support for the whole skeleton. In addition, the pelvis protects the internal organs from damage during falls and bumps. The pelvic ring is formed by three supporting bones - the sciatic, pubic and iliac. They are connected by thin bone sutures. This area is the most fragile. A bone fracture in this area can lead to damage to internal organs and large blood loss. Pain shock almost always develops. The risk of death is increasing. Proper help with a fracture of the pelvic bones is the ability to save a person’s life.
Statistics show that such injuries account for 5-7% of the number of all fractures. Even if all life saving actions were initially performed correctly, the patient will have to go through a long rehabilitation period.
Causes
The pelvic bones are highly durable. It is almost impossible to break them in the course of ordinary household injury. First aid for a fracture of the pelvic bones may be required in case of falls from a height or car accidents. Also, such injuries are often found in the collapse of buildings, industrial accidents or in underground passages. Damage to the bone is possible only with a sufficiently strong impact.
People with chronic osteoporosis are at risk. With this disease, the bones become more fragile. Even with ordinary household injury, a person with such an ailment can get a closed fracture of the pelvic bones. First aid to such a patient should be provided immediately.
Classification
First aid for a pelvic fracture will always be the same. But the methodology for further therapy will depend on the type of damage. All pelvic fractures are divided into four groups. The safest are stable fractures. They are not accompanied by a violation of the pelvic ring. With an unstable fracture, the integrity of the pelvic ring can be violated in two places.
A pelvic fracture is an injury that is rare and may be accompanied by a dislocation of the hip. Fractures of the pelvic bones are even less common.
Collateral damage
The risk of dangerous complications with a fracture of the pelvic bones increases. First aid to the patient should be provided immediately. Such injuries are almost always accompanied by large blood loss. With unstable fractures, patients lose up to three liters of blood. In this regard, marginal and stable fractures are safer.
Unstable pelvic fractures often accompany damage to the urethra and bladder. In women, damage to the organs of the reproductive system is often observed. Damage to the rectum is dangerous . The contents of the organ enter the abdominal cavity, which provokes extensive infection.
Serious complications develop if bone fragments damage the nerve trunks of the lumbar. In 30% of cases with pelvic fractures, the patient is doomed to a wheelchair.
Symptoms
How to understand that it was necessary to face a fracture of the pelvic bones? Symptoms, first aid, possible complications - all this should be known. The main sign of dangerous damage is local deformation of the pelvic area. Also in the area of the injury soft tissue edema, an extensive hematoma will develop. If the anteroposterior spine is torn off, shortening of the lower extremities may be observed. If the ilium is damaged, there is a significant reduction in range of motion in the hip joint.
Strong pain in the pelvic area is one of the main signs of a fracture. Unpleasant sensations intensify with any movements. The act of defecation also becomes difficult. With a fracture of the ischial bone, the patient feels most comfortable in the frog position. Any other movements cause severe pain.
When pelvic bones are damaged, shock develops in 80% of patients due to severe pain and large blood loss. The patient becomes pale, covered with sticky cold sweat. Significantly reduced blood pressure. Many patients lose consciousness.
Be sure to know the signs of a pelvic fracture. First aid immediately after the injury should be aimed at stopping the bleeding and delivering the patient to the nearest medical facility.
Diagnostics
A fracture of the pelvic bones at the scene is determined by the symptoms described above. But the traumatologist makes an accurate diagnosis on the basis of radiography. The specialist clarifies the nature and location of the damage. If severe damage to the internal organs is suspected, diagnostic laparoscopy may be prescribed.
First Aid - Action Algorithm
As a rule, such damage occurs during dangerous traffic accidents or industrial accidents. Therefore, a person who provides first aid for a fracture of the pelvic bones should initially be convinced of their own safety. The further procedure should be as follows:
- Call an ambulance.
- Assess the patient’s pulse and breathing.
- Lay the patient on his back, put a roller with a diameter of about 30 cm under his knees.
- Monitor the condition of the victim before the ambulance arrives.
Rough and repeated transfer of the patient is strictly prohibited. This can lead to secondary damage to internal organs. If it is impossible to call an ambulance and you have to transport the victim yourself to a medical facility, you should create improvised stretchers from strong sticks and any material (blanket, bedspread, sheet, coat). The victim is fixed to the stretcher with straps or straps, the knees are bred, a roller is placed under them.
The reviews of experts show that the success of further treatment depends on the correct first aid provided by 90%.
Therapy
In a medical facility, the patient is primarily given a series of anti-shock measures. Necessarily carried out intracranial anesthesia, blood loss compensation. The patient is given therapeutic anesthesia and further manipulations are performed.
Within a few days after the injury, the patient is given a fractional blood transfusion. A large volume of blood is poured in the first hours after the injury. This makes it possible to remove the patient from a state of shock.
The pelvic bones are fixed according to the type of damage. Reviews show that the patient has to spend more than a month in a hammock or on a dense shield with virtually no movement. If the integrity of the pelvic ring is violated, skeletal traction is performed. Damage to the pelvic organs is an indication for surgery.
The speed of patient recovery directly depends on how correctly the first aid was performed for a fracture of the pelvic bones. Briefly, the algorithm of actions has been described above. With a stable fracture, the patient can be discharged home after two weeks. Rehabilitation after complex fractures can last more than six months. For several years, the patient will have to limit physical activity, abandon dangerous sports.