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Temporization of Penetrating AbdominalPelvic Trauma With Manual External Aortic
Compression: A Novel Case Report
ARTICLE in ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE · OCTOBER 2013
Impact Factor: 4.33 · DOI: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2013.09.026 · Source: PubMed
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TRAUMA/CASE REPORT
Temporization of Penetrating Abdominal-Pelvic Trauma With
Manual External Aortic Compression: A Novel Case Report
Matthew Douma, RN, BSN; Katherine E. Smith, MD, BSc; Peter G. Brindley, MD, FRCPC
A young civilian man experienced multiple gunshots to the lower abdomen, pelvis, and thigh. These were not amenable to direct
compression by a single rescuer. This report outlines the first case in the peer-reviewed literature of manual external aortic
compression after severe trauma. This technique successfully temporized external bleeding for more than 10 minutes and
restored consciousness to the moribund victim. Subsequently, external bleeding could not be temporized by a second smaller
rescuer, or during ambulance transfer. Therefore, we also gained insights about the possible limits of bimanual compression
and when alternates, such as pneumatic devices, may be required. Research is needed to test our presumption that successful
bimanual compression requires larger-weight rescuers, smaller-weight victims, and a hard surface. It is therefore unclear
whether manual external aortic compression is achievable by most rescuers or for most victims. However, it offers an
immediate and equipment-free life-sustaining strategy when there are limited alternatives. [Ann Emerg Med. 2013;-:1-3.]
0196-0644/$-see front matter
Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Emergency Physicians.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2013.09.026
INTRODUCTION
The priority after penetrating trauma to the major vessels of the
abdomen, pelvis, and lower extremities is rapid surgical rescue.1
However, patients with life-threatening abdominal-pelvic
hemorrhage also need to be temporized at the scene and maintained
during transport. Unlike bleeding from the extremities, hemorrhage
from the umbilicus to the proximal thigh is often not amenable to
direct compression or to hemostatic dressings. Therefore,
management of these injuries, referred to in military literature as
junctional trauma, is difficult and mortality is high.2
Annually, gunshot wounds cause approximately 200,000
civilian deaths3 and more than 700,000 total deaths worldwide.4
Junctional trauma is the leading preventable cause of conflictzone death,5 and our case (as well as recent events in Aurora, CO,
and Boston, MA) highlights that it is also a concern in civilian
life. A study of abdominal gunshot wounds presenting to the
emergency department (ED) reported 16% mortality.6 Another
found that death increased 1% for every 3 minutes in the ED
before laparotomy.7 In short, this is an important problem for
out-of-hospital and ED staff. Further research and novel clinical
ideas are sorely needed.
We present a novel case of successful temporization with
manual external aortic compression (Figure) that followed multiple
gunshot wounds to the abdomen and lower extremity. A civilian
patient was successfully temporized for more than 10 minutes by a
single rescuer. Although perhaps intuitive, manual external aortic
compression has not been previously described in the medical
literature for penetrating or nonpenetrating trauma.
CASE REPORT
A young civilian man received multiple shots from a handgun
at close range. He experienced wounds to the right lower
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abdomen, left flank, and right proximal thigh. All bled externally
and profusely. This was witnessed by a nearby health care
professional (M.D.), who responded immediately. The victim
had an initial Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 6 (motor
4, verbal 1, eyes 1). Carotid pulses were faint, peripheral pulses
were absent, skin was pale, and respirations were rapid and
shallow. The rescuer (who weighed >200 lbs) applied direct
pressure to the anterior abdominal wound, using a towel, which
appeared to externally tamponade that single site. However, the
victim continued to bleed profusely from the flank and thigh.
These multiple wounds could not be managed with direct
compression by the single rescuer. Therefore, he applied maximal
bimanual force to the patient’s epigastrium to compress the
abdominal aorta proximal to all wounds. This involved pressing
the right fist (bolstered by his left hand) between the xiphoid and
umbilicus (Figure).
Within 30 seconds of manual external aortic compression,
external bleeding stopped. Concurrently, the patient regained
consciousness, began moving, opened his eyes, and verbalized
(GCS 14). As such, presumably, major internal bleeding was also
stemmed. Additional lay responders arrived and manual external
aortic compression was demonstrated and handed off to a rescuer
of smaller build (<150 lbs). External bleeding resumed within
30 seconds and the patient again became unconscious. Therefore,
the initial rescuer resumed maximal manual external aortic
compression. Bleeding once again appeared to stop, and the
victim awakened, verbalized, and moved all limbs (GCS 14).
Paramedics responded but were held back for 10 minutes by
police. Bimanual compression was maintained by the single rescuer
throughout. When emergency medical services arrived, roadside
compression was successfully handed off to a male ambulance
paramedic (>200 lbs). Manual compression was interrupted to
transfer the patient to an ambulance stretcher and again as he was
Annals of Emergency Medicine 1
Penetrating Abdominal-Pelvic Trauma and Manual External Aortic Compression
Figure. Bi-manual external aortic compression.
loaded into the ambulance. The patient became obtunded both
times. The maneuver was resumed but, subjectively, required more
manual effort on the stretcher compared with the roadside. During
transport, it was abandoned to obtain vital signs, intravenous
access, and a cervical collar. Within minutes, the patient again bled
externally and became unresponsive. Four minutes into the
9-minute transfer, he had a pulseless electrical activity cardiac
arrest, presumed a result of severe hypovolemia. Advanced cardiac
life support resuscitation was initiated and continued for the
remaining 5-minute transfer to the ED.
In the ED, a multidisciplinary trauma team responded
immediately. An anterolateral thoracotomy and pericardotomy
revealed no pericardial or pleural blood, and the thoracic aorta
was cross-clamped. A chest tube and subclavian central venous
catheter were placed, 2 L of crystalloid and 4 units of blood were
rapidly infused, and open cardiac massage was performed. The
patient had return of spontaneous circulation and was rushed to
the operating room for an urgent midline laparotomy. Surgeons
evacuated a large volume of blood and located an expanding
retroperitoneal hematoma, splenic and gastric injuries, and
lacerations to the inferior vena cava and abdominal aorta.
Intraoperatively, the patient received 14 units of packed RBCs,
3 units of fresh frozen plasma, and 1 pool of platelets.
Intraoperative blood testing showed a hemoglobin level of
4.7 g/dL (normal 14 to 18 g/dL), platelet level less than
40,000/mL (normal 150,000 to 400,000 mL), partial
thromboplastin time 146 seconds (normal 30 to 50 seconds),
international normalized ratio 2.9 (normal 0.8 to 1.2), and lactate
level of 14 mmol/L (normal 0.5 to 1 mmol/L). Death occurred
105 minutes after ED arrival with extreme acidosis, refractory
cardiac dysrhythmias, and inability to repair the aorta. Family
consented to this case report on condition of anonymity.
DISCUSSION
Injuries to the abdominal aorta and iliac and common femoral
arteries often preclude tourniquets and hemostatic agents.8
Therefore, sophisticated devices such as a novel abdominal
2 Annals of Emergency Medicine
Douma, Smith & Brindley
tourniquet have been developed.2 However, these are not always
available in the civilian out-of-hospital system. In addition, they
require training, experience, and time to deploy. Meanwhile,
patients can die within a few minutes of major abdominal-pelvic
trauma. Manual external aortic compression offers a cost-free,
equipment-free, easy-to-teach, and immediately available
technique. Therefore, it is intuitively appealing. Moreover, our
first responder’s experience shows it can successfully temporize a
severe lower-extremity bleeding event. Our second responder’s
lack of success also shows that the technique has limitations.
However, this also provided useful insights about how manual
external aortic compression might be optimized when there are
few alternatives. These insights should also help direct ongoing
research.
Our case supports but does not prove the intuitive assumption
that larger-weight rescuers are more likely to succeed. In a small
but ingenious study, 9 healthy volunteers had dumbbell weights
placed on a rolled towel, which was placed over the abdomen.
Eighty to one hundred twenty pounds was required to occlude
blood flow in the common femoral artery (as measured by
Doppler ultrasonography).9 The need for such a large force may
explain why our smaller rescuer was unsuccessful. Although a
victim’s vertebral column should provide posterior compression,
performing manual external aortic compression on a harder
surface (ie, the cement or the floor of the ambulance, or by
adding a backboard, as with cardiac chest compressions) may
increase effectiveness. This presumption also needs to be formally
studied. In our case, manual external aortic compression was also
difficult to maintain during transfer to the ambulance. It was also
not maintained during transport because of prioritization of
other, more conventional, interventions. Bimanual compression
might also be limited by patient factors. For example, our victim
weighed less than 90 kg. Bimanual compression (and pneumatic
devices) may be limited by ineffectiveness (or discomfort) in
those with increased abdominal girth.9,10 Although this remains
to be studied, it may be an important limitation, given increasing
rates of worldwide obesity.
Fortunately, health care workers (and many lay public) have
already been taught a bimanual technique for performing cardiac
chest compressions. Therefore, minimal education should be
required. This assumption is supported by the ease with which
our first rescuer handed off manual external aortic compression
on 2 occasions. Presumably, manual external aortic compression
would also be relatively easy to describe to a rescuer by telephone
dispatch. This should further minimize delays compared with
devices. As is the case for cardiac chest compressions, our
experience also supports the intuitive benefit of extending elbows
and positioning the upper body above the hands. This increased
transfer of upper body strength may be why compression seemed
easier on the roadside compared with the raised ambulance
stretcher.
To our knowledge, manual external aortic compression has
not been described in the peer-reviewed literature after either
penetrating or nonpenetrating trauma. It is also not part of any
published trauma guidelines. Given that manual external aortic
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Douma, Smith & Brindley
Penetrating Abdominal-Pelvic Trauma and Manual External Aortic Compression
compression may seem intuitive, we also reviewed nonmedical
sources, military gray literature, and Internet forums. We used
the key words “external aortic compression,” “junctional
trauma,” “penetrating trauma,” “dismounted complex blast
injury,” “abdominal hemorrhage,” and “abdominal/pelvic/
junctional gunshot wound.” We also used the assistance of the
assistant of a medical librarian to ensure rigor. We found only a
Web site discussing a manual external aortic compression10 and a
newspaper article recommending one fist above the wound and
one below the injury.11
Outside of trauma, manual external aortic compression has been
reported after rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurism12 and for
postpartum hemorrhage.13 A study in 20 nonbleeding postpartum
patients used manual external aortic compression to obliterate
femoral pulses in 55% and significantly reduce pulses in 65%
(P<.01).14 It has also been associated with decreased mortality and
morbidity after postpartum hemorrhage in the developing world15
and has been adopted by the Queensland ambulance service for
this use.16 Manual external aortic compression has also been
used successfully to increase cardiac afterload after severe cyanosis in
a 3-month-old with tetralogy of Fallot.17
Instead of manual compression, the US military has promoted
the use of pneumatic devices after trauma.2 An abdominal aortic
tourniquet has been shown to successfully arrest femoral artery
flow in 15 of 16 volunteers, as determined by ultrasonographic
Doppler.18 Our lack of success with 2 of 3 rescuers using manual
compression means that devices (when present) may be preferable,
especially with lower-strength rescuers, when patients cannot be
removed rapidly, when rescuers cannot be positioned properly,
and during prolonged transportation. Similarly, manual external
aortic compression may be used only while awaiting a device.
Although further study is required, the use of a single knee9 may
also be preferable (and less fatiguing) than using hands.
CONCLUSION
Our case suggests that manual external aortic compression
may provide an immediate and equipment-free life-sustaining
strategy. Our experience also emphasizes that manual external
aortic compression has limitations. Further study is warranted to
ascertain whether it can be further optimized and whether it has
widespread applicability.
Supervising editor: Judd E. Hollander, MD
Author affiliations: From the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of
Nursing, Masters of Nursing, Nurse Practitioner Program Student
and Collaborative Program in Resuscitation Science, Faculty of
Medicine at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
(Douma); and the Department of Emergency Medicine (Smith) and
Division of Critical Care Medicine (Brindley), University of Alberta,
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Funding and support: By Annals policy, all authors are required to
disclose any and all commercial, financial, and other relationships
in any way related to the subject of this article as per ICMJE conflict
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of interest guidelines (see www.icmje.org). The authors have stated
that no such relationships exist.
Publication dates: Received for publication August 8, 2013.
Revision received September 11, 2013. Accepted for publication
September 18, 2013.
Address for correspondence: Peter G. Brindley, MD, FRCPC,
E-mail Peter.Brindley@albertahealthservices.ca.
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