Survival with an arterial pH of 6.57 following major trauma with exsanguinating haemorrhage associated with traumatic amputation.

We report the survival of a multiply injured patient with exanguinating haemorrhage and an arterial pH of 6.5, following a road vehicle crash. The previously healthy 38 years old male driver veered off the motorway and collided with a tree. The ambulance arrived at the scene 9 min after being called by an eyewitness and, following rapid extrication from the wreckage; the patient arrived in hospital 27 min later (with a GCS of 6), and was immediately intubated. The patient had suffered near-complete amputation of the left leg at upper femoral shaft level, along with multiple distal fractures and open wounds. He also sustained a head injury and closed displaced fractures of left radius and ulna. The patient received 2 l of crystalloids in the pre-hospital phase. Once in hospital the haemorrhage was controlled with a pressure dressing and intra-venous fluids were kept to a minimum until he was taken promptly to theatre. His initial arterial blood sample revealed a pH of 6.57, pCo(2) of 9.18 kPa, a pO(2) of 70.11 kPa and a base excess of -27.5 mmol l(-1). The co-oximeter Hb was 5.8 g dl(-1). Haemorrhage was controlled in theatre where he was transfused a total of 30 U of blood, 1 pack of platelets, 12 U of fresh frozen plasma, 3.5 l of crystalloids and 1.5 l of colloid. Sodium bicarbonate was administered three times. He subsequently remained ventilated in intensive care unit (ICU). Over the following week he survived sepsis, disseminated intravascular coagulation and myoglobinuria (with transient renal failure) attributable to rhabdomyolysis secondary to muscle necrosis. He later underwent diversion colostomy and disarticulating amputation of the left femur after several debridements. After 6 weeks on ICU he made an excellent recovery will full return of his mental abilities. In this case, the serial arterial blood samples obtained were reliable. The lactic acidosis observed was the result of profound tissue hypo-perfusion and its rate of clearance seems to have greater prognostic value than its peak or initial value. Several factors may have contributed to the patient's survival: rapid retrieval from the scene; early intubation with excellent subsequent oxygenation (thus avoiding the dangerous combination of hypoxia and acidosis with synergistic influence on cardiac depression) and limited initial fluid resuscitation in the emergency department with prompt surgical intervention and vigorous restoration of organ perfusion after surgical haemostasis. Immediate operative haemostasis, coupled with restricted fluid administration beforehand and vigorous restoration of organ perfusion afterwards is now replacing the old resuscitation paradigm. Perhaps this shift in practice has helped this patient to survive.