Non-operative management of right side thoracoabdominal penetrating injuries--the value of testing chest tube effluent for bile

A novel inflatable device for perihepatic packing and hepatic hemorrhage control: A proof-of-concept study

INTRODUCTION

Uncontrolled bleeding is the primary cause of death in complex liver trauma and perihepatic packing is regularly utilized for hemorrhage control. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a novel inflatable device (the airbag) for perihepatic packing using a validated liver injury damage control model in swine.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The image of the human liver was digitally isolated within an abdominal computerized tomography scan to produce a silicone model of the liver to mold the airbag. Two medical grade polyurethane sheets were thermal bonded to the configuration of the liver avoiding compression of the hepatic pedicle, hepatic veins, and the suprahepatic vena cava after inflation. Yorkshire pigs (n = 22) underwent controlled hemorrhagic shock (35% of the total blood volume), hypothermia, and fluid resuscitation to reproduce the indications for damage control surgery (coagulopathy, hypothermia, and acidosis) prior to a liver injury. A 3 × 10 cm rectangular segment of the left middle lobe of the liver was removed to create the injury. Subsequently, the animals were randomized into 4 groups for liver damage control (240 min), Sponge Pack (n = 6), Pressurized Airbag (n = 6), Vacuum Airbag (n = 6), and Uncontrolled (n = 4). Animals were monitored throughout the experiment and blood samples obtained.

RESULTS

Perihepatic packing with the pressurized airbag led to significantly higher mean arterial pressure during the liver damage control phase compared to sponge pack and vacuum airbag 52 mmHg (SD 2.3), 44.9 mmHg (SD 2.1), and 32 mmHg (SD 2.3), respectively (p < 0.0001), ejection fraction was also higher in that group. Hepatic hemorrhage was significantly lower in the pressurized airbag group compared to sponge pack, vacuum airbag, and uncontrolled groups; respectively 225 ml (SD 160), 611 ml (SD 123), 991 ml (SD 385), 1162 ml (SD 137) (p < 0001). Rebleeding after perihepatic packing removal was also significantly lower in the pressurized airbag group; respectively 32 ml (SD 47), 630 ml (SD 185), 513 ml (SD 303), (p = 0.0004). Intra-abdominal pressure remained similar to baseline, 1.9 mmHg (SD 1), (p = 0.297). Histopathology showed less necrosis at the border of the liver injury site with the pressurized airbag.

CONCLUSION

The pressurized airbag was significantly more effective at controlling hepatic hemorrhage and improving hemodynamics than the traditional sponge pack technique. Rebleeding after perihepatic packing removal was negligible with the pressurized airbag and it did not provoke hepatic injury.

Natural history of extensive diaphragmatic injury on the right side: experimental study in rats

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the natural healing of the rat diaphragm that suffered an extensive right penetrating injury.

METHODS

Animals were submitted to an extensive penetrating injury in right diaphragm. The sample consisted of 40 animals. The variables studied were initial weight, weight 21 days after surgery; healing of the diaphragm, non-healing of the diaphragm, and herniated abdominal contents into the chest.

RESULTS

Ten animals were used as controls for weight and 30 animals were operated. Two animals died during the experiment, so 28 animals formed the operated group; healing of the diaphragm occurred in 15 animals (54%), 11 other animals showed diaphragmatic hernia (39%) and in two we observed only diaphragmatic injury without hernia (7%). Among the herniated organs, the liver was found in 100% of animals, followed by the omentum in 77%, small bowel in 62%, colon in 46%, stomach in 31% and spleen in 15%. The control group and the diaphragmatic healing subgroup showed increased weight since the beginning of the study and the 21 days after surgery (p <0.001). The unhealed group showed no change in weight (p = 0.228).

CONCLUSION

there is a predominance of spontaneous healing in the right diaphragm; animals in which there was no healing of the diaphragm did not gain weight, and the liver was the organ present in 100% the diaphragmatic surface in all rats with healed diaphragm or not.

Non operative management of gunshot wounds on the right thoracoabdomen

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the results after the implementation of the non-operative management (NOM) of the right upper thoracoabdominal gunshot injuries protocol.

METHODS

Prospective study. From January 2005 to December 2011, 115 patients were included into this study. Criteria for inclusion were gunshot wound to the right thoracoabdominal region, haemodynamic stability, no signs of peritonitis, and realized CT scan. The data collected were analysed by the software EXCEL.

RESULTS

Among the 115 patients included in our study, the mean age was 25.8 years old (range, 14-78 years old), of whom 95.6% were male, 62.6% had thoracoabdominal injuries and 37.4% had exclusively abdominal injuries. The averages of trauma scores were RTS 7.7, ISS 14.8 and TRISS 97%. One hundred and nine patients (94.8%) had liver injury, 72 (62.6%) had diaphragm and lung injury, 28 (24.4%) had renal injury. Complications were present in 12 (10.5%) patients, 7 of these related to the thorax. The NOM failure happened in 4 (3.5%) patients, 2 of them due to bile peritonitis, 1 related to bleeding and 1 the laparotomy was unnecessary. The mean hospital stay was 9.4 days. There were 2 deaths due to associated gunshot brain injury. Sixty seven patients (58.3%) were presented in the follow-up after 2 months of trauma. The CT scan showed injury scar in 58 patients (86.5%).

CONCLUSION

NOM of the penetrating right thoracoabdominal injuries must be seen with caution. The NOM of right thoracoabdominal gunshot injuries is safe only in selected cases, followed by well-defined protocols and when performed in places that have adequate infrastructure.

Partial liver herniation into the right chest following trauma: a delayed presentation as acute injury managed by laparoscopically assisted mini-thoracotomy

INTRODUCTION

Traumatic diaphragmatic rupture is a relatively uncommon occurrence, with an incidence of 0.8-5% reported in the literature. The reported percentage of missed diaphragmatic injuries that were discovered later ranges from 12 to 66%. Herniation of the liver through the right diaphragm has been reported in the literature after liver transplantation, and in trauma populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Here, we report a case of late identification of partial liver herniation into the right chest (8 years post initial injury), due to a recent motor vehicle crash. Thought to be suffering from an acute injury, the patient was taken to the operating room and a laparoscopically assisted mini-thoracotomy was performed. An old diaphragmatic injury was found intraoperatively; laparoscopically assisted mini-thoracotomy was used to repair the diaphragm, and the liver was returned into the abdomen.

CONCLUSION

Right-sided diaphragmatic laceration, if diagnosed at the time of injury, may be repaired with the minimally invasive technique we describe here.