What device should be used to help control the bleeding from a pelvic fracture?

• A. Tourniquet
• B. Pelvic girdle binder
• C. External fixator
• D. PSAG/MAST

Answer: (D)

Bleeding from a pelvic fracture is driven by injury to the pelvic venous plexus and surrounding vessels, which can be difficult to control with local pressure alone. The best option here is a pneumatic anti-shock garment that wraps around the lower torso and inflates to apply circumferential pressure. This device reduces pelvic volume and provides tamponade of pelvic vessels, while also helping shunt blood toward the core to improve perfusion. In the prehospital setting, it can buy crucial time until definitive care is available and is specifically designed to address pelvic-area bleeding more effectively than a simple limb-focused device. Tourniquets stop limb bleeds and don’t address pelvic hemorrhage. A pelvic girdle binder stabilizes the pelvis but does not deliver the same systemic compression and tamponade effect as the pneumatic garment. An external fixator is a definitive stabilization method used in-hospital and isn’t a prehospital option for controlling ongoing pelvic bleeding.