Association Between Pelvic Injury and Trauma-Induced Coagulopathy in Severe Trauma Patients: A Retrospective Single-Center Study.

Background/

Objectives

Pelvic injuries are frequently associated with severe hemorrhage and may contribute to early trauma-induced coagulopathy (TIC). Whether pelvic injury is independently associated with TIC beyond overall injury severity remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between pelvic injury and TIC in severe trauma patients.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective single-center study including adult severe trauma patients (injury severity score > 15) admitted between January 2012 and July 2020. Patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (because of its specific coagulopathy and mortality), inter-hospital transfer, pregnancy, or long-term anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy were excluded. Pelvic injury was defined as any traumatic lesion involving the pelvic girdle identified on admission computed tomography. TIC was defined by an international normalized ratio (INR) > 1.2 and/or fibrinogen < 1.5 g/L and/or platelet count < 100 G/L. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify factors associated with TIC.

Results

Among 388 included patients (79.6% male, median age 39 years), 114 (29.4%) had a pelvic injury. TIC was present in 160 patients (41.3%), and TIC prevalence was significantly higher in patients with pelvic injury (n = 73-64.0%) compared to those without (n = 87-31.8%) (p < 0.001). After multivariate analysis, TIC was independently associated with pelvic injury (OR 2.81, 95% CI 1.63-4.89), shock index > 0.9 (OR 1.94, 95% CI 1.12-3.37), hemoglobin < 10 g/dL (OR 4.27, 95% CI 1.77-11.49), and lower base excess values on admission (OR per unit increase 0.92, 95% CI 0.87-0.97). Injury severity score and number of lesions (AIS ≥ 3) were not independently associated with TIC.

Conclusions

Pelvic injury was independently associated with TIC after adjustment for injury severity, number of severe injuries, and markers of hemodynamic and metabolic shock, including shock index, hemoglobin level, and base excess. These findings suggest that patients with pelvic injury may represent a high-risk subgroup for early coagulopathy, supporting the need for early recognition and adapted resuscitation strategies. Further prospective studies are required to explore underlying mechanisms.