Review of pediatric abdominal trauma: operative and non-operative treatment in combined adult and pediatric trauma center

Assessing associated factors for failure of nonoperative management in pediatric blunt liver and spleen injuries: a secondary analysis of the SHIPPs study

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of pediatric patients who underwent nonoperative management (NOM) for blunt splenic and hepatic injuries and to explore factors associated with NOM failure.

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of a multicenter cohort study of pediatric patients with blunt liver and spleen injuries in Japan. Participants included pediatric trauma patients aged 16 years or younger between 2008 and 2019 with NOM, which was defined as no surgery provided within 6 h of hospital arrival. NOM failure, defined as abdominal surgery performed after 6 h of hospital arrival, was the primary outcome. Descriptive statistics were provided and exploratory analysis to assess the associations with outcome using logistic regression.

RESULTS

During the study period, 1339 met our eligibility criteria. The median age was 9 years, with a majority being male. The median Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 10. About 14.0% required transfusion within 24 h, and 22.3% underwent interventional radiology procedures. NOM failure occurred in 1.0% of patients and the in-hospital mortality was 0.7%. Factors associated with NOM failure included age, positive focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), contrast extravasation on computed tomography (CT), severe liver injury, concomitant pancreas injury, concomitant gastrointestinal injury, concomitant mesenteric injury, and ISS.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study, NOM failure were rare. Older age, positive FAST, contrast extravasation on CT, severe liver injury, concomitant pancreas injury, concomitant gastrointestinal injury, concomitant mesenteric injury, and higher ISS were suggested as possible risk factors for NOM failure.

Surgeon choice in management of pediatric abdominal trauma

BACKGROUND

No guidelines exist for management of hemodynamically stable children with suspected hollow viscus injury. We sought to determine factors contributing to surgeon management of these patients.

METHODS

Surgeon members of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma and American Pediatric Surgical Association completed a survey on 3 blunt abdominal injury scenarios: (1) isolated, (2) with multisystem injury, and (3) with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and a penetrating injury scenario. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with initial management of observation vs. operation for blunt injury and observation vs. local wound exploration versus laparoscopy for penetrating injury.

RESULTS

Of 394 surgeons (response rate 22.3%), 50.3% were pediatric surgeons. For scenarios 1-3, 32.2%, 49.3%, and 60.7% of surgeons chose operation over observation, respectively. Compared to isolated blunt injury, surgeons were more likely to choose operation for patients with multisystem injury (aOR 2.20, 95%CI: 1.78-2.72) or TBI (aOR 3.60, 95%CI: 2.79-4.66). Pediatric surgeons were less likely to choose operation (aOR 0.32, 95%CI: 0.22-0.44). For penetrating injury, 39.1%, 29.5%, and 31.5% of surgeons chose observation, local wound exploration, and laparoscopy, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Large variation exists in management of hemodynamically stable children with suspected hollow viscus injury. Although patient injury characteristics account for some variation, surgeon factors such as type of surgeon also play a role. Evidence-based practice guidelines should be developed to standardize care.

TYPE OF STUDY

Cross-Sectional Survey.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

N/A.