Sepsis in fatal pelvic trauma patients: report from a level-1 Indian Trauma Centre

Abstract

data, duration of survival, type of pelvic injury and any associated injuries, if any, were noted and analysed. The profile of infections developing in these patients was recorded and analysed as per the predisposing factors, infection, response, organ dysfunction (PIRO) grading system [6, 7]. Causes of death were acquired from the autopsy reports from the Department of Forensic Pathology at the hospital and were cross checked with the clinical data. The National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi has an estimated population of 17.8 million currently with 21.7 million residing in its NCR areas. The JPNA Trauma Centre, AIIMS, New Delhi is a level-1 trauma centre which also serves as a national referral centre for trauma care. With bed strength of 186, the average total admissions per year during the study were 4,094 during the study period; the hospital bed occupancy rate was 83 % with an average bed turnover rate per day of 24. A total of 50,137 emergency visits and 4,850 surgical procedures were performed during the study period per year. Among these, 964 were admitted for pelvic injuries out of a total of 4,820 orthopaedic patients admitted for trauma care during the study period. During the study, a total of 213 consecutive fatal cases with pelvic injuries alone or with other associated injuries were included. The mean of the ages in this group was 36 years (range 3–95 years, SD 17.6). Although age did not meet the requirements for a significant predictor of mortality (P = 0.099), patients more than 45 years had >50 % mortality. Of the total 213 cases, male (196, 92 %) patients exceed females (17, 8 %). Road traffic accident was the most common cause of injury (182, 85 %), followed by fall from height (21, 10 %), train accidents (5, 2 %), firearm injuries (2, 1 %), fall in well (1, 0.5 %), assault (1, 0.5 %) and fall of wall (1, 0.5 %). Abdominal injuries (30 %, 94) were the most common associated injury, followed by limbs (65, 21 %), chest (53, 17 %), head injuries Sir,