AFTER SUSTAINING AN INJURY TO THE pelvis, particularly an open-book pelvic ring fracture, it is crucial that a patient in an emergency situation receives special care to reduce the risk of life-threatening hemorrhage. This care involves circumferential compression of the pelvis, which can be done with a variety of binders, belts, slings and other devices, including, if necessary, a bed sheet. This procedure most often needs to be performed while a patient is being transported to a hospital. While providing circumferential compression to the pelvis is a common and necessary situation, there is not currently any standard describing the ideal characteristics of devices used for this procedure. "Because these devices are universally used for the stabilization of pelvic ring fractures during transport and prior to definitive treatment, it would seem prudent to develop minimum standards which might improve their quality, efficiency, and safety," says Sam Scheinberg, M.D., a board certified orthopedic surgeon, and CEO of the Seaberg Company, Inc., a manufacturer of emergency medical products.
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