Use of the Pelvic C-Clamp to Mitigate Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in a Patient with an Unstable Sacral Fracture

Case. We present the case of a 21-year-old man who fell from a roof, sustaining a displaced sacral fracture with pelvic instability. He developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) within 24 hours of injury. Placement of the pelvic C-clamp resulted in rapid resolution of pulmonary dysfunctio...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Michael J. DeRogatis, Paul S. Issack
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:Case Reports in Orthopedics
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/6412760
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Summary:Case. We present the case of a 21-year-old man who fell from a roof, sustaining a displaced sacral fracture with pelvic instability. He developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) within 24 hours of injury. Placement of the pelvic C-clamp resulted in rapid resolution of pulmonary dysfunction, allowing for definitive internal fixation. Conclusion. The C-clamp is most commonly used to control hemorrhage in unstable posterior pelvic ring injuries. Our case demonstrates a rare use of the C-clamp to stabilize the posterior pelvis in a patient with an unstable sacral fracture and ARDS, to rapidly improve pulmonary function prior to definitive surgery.
ISSN:2090-6749
2090-6757