Urologic trauma guidelines: a 21st century update

Manifestation of Spontaneous Rupture of the Urinary Bladder in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder (SRUB) during pregnancy is a potentially fatal event that necessitates immediate surgery. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the symptoms, causes, associated factors, and prognosis of SRUB in pregnancy. We searched the literature from inception until December 2022 using the Cochrane Central Register, PubMed, EMBASE, ProQuest, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Articles not in English and those unrelated to the topic were excluded. The JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for case reports was employed for the risk of bias assessment. The search strategy yielded 312 citations; 29 full-text articles were evaluated for eligibility after screening. Five case reports were included in this review. The age range of the cases was 27-39 years. Four cases were in their second trimester of pregnancy, and one was in her third. Two cases had undergone previous cesarean sections, and one had an appendectomy and salpingectomy due to an ectopic pregnancy. One case reported a history of alcohol and drug abuse. The most common symptoms were abdominal pain, abdominal distension, oliguria, voiding difficulty, hematuria, fever, and vomiting. The diagnosis of SRUB was primarily made via emergency laparotomy due to the patients' critical conditions. Beyond its diagnostic role, laparotomy was also the treatment method in all cases. Tear repair, antibiotic therapy, and urinary catheterization were all integral parts of the treatment. Four cases resulted in an uneventful pregnancy and a healthy, full-term baby. In one case, a hysterectomy was performed due to a combined uterus and bladder rupture. SRUB often presents with non-specific symptoms, leading to a delayed diagnosis. A high index of suspicion is essential when a pregnant woman exhibits urinary symptoms and severe abdominal pain, especially in those with a history of previous surgery. Early detection and treatment of SRUB are critical for an uneventful recovery.

Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder: A rare case report

Spontaneous rupture of the bladder (SRUB) is an extremely rare emergency that can be misdiagnosed due to its non-specific clinical presentation, leading to patient death. This study aimed to summarize SRUB's clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment through our case. We report a case of a 39-year-old female with preoperative peritonitis and peritoneal effusion diagnosis. We performed an emergency laparoscopic surgery and found she had a ruptured bladder. She was treated with laparoscopic rupture repair and suprapubic cystostomy. She recovered well, was discharged after seven days, and had the cystostomy tube removed after five weeks.

Spontaneous bladder rupture attributable to a radical hysterectomy-associated neurogenic bladder in patients with cervical cancer: A case report and literature review

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Spontaneous bladder rupture (SBR) is an extremely rare urological emergency. Herein we report a rare case of SBR in a postoperative cervical cancer patient, which was attributable to bladder distension due to a radical hysterectomy-associated neurogenic bladder.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 74-year-old nulliparous Japanese patient with cervical cancer (pT1b3N0M0) presented with acute abdominal pain nine days after a radical hysterectomy. The pretreatment workup included plain computed tomography (CT) revealed the presence of ascites in the absence of gastrointestinal perforation. The patient was initially diagnosed with generalized bacterial peritonitis and treated with antibiotics. Urine outflow was noted 5 days later from the vaginal stump. Subsequent contrast-enhanced CT demonstrated a bladder wall defect with presence of contrast medium in the abdominal cavity. The patient was diagnosed with SBR and was conservatively treated with antibiotics and prolonged catheterization (4 weeks); these measures showed no signs of therapeutic efficacy. The patient was subsequently treated surgically with an ileal conduit urinary diversion. The patient is currently free of disease.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

A literature review revealed that a history of pelvic radiotherapy is the main predisposing factor for SBR in women with cervical cancer. Our case serves to alert physicians that SBR should be considered a differential diagnosis in postoperative cervical cancer patients without a history of pelvic radiotherapy who experience generalized peritonitis symptoms or present as an acute abdomen.

CONCLUSION

SBR can develop in cervical cancer patients without a history of radiotherapy. This differential diagnosis should be considered in patients with a radical hysterectomy-associated neurogenic bladder.

Generalized peritonitis secondary to spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder in a diabetic patient: A case report

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder (SRUB) secondary to emphysematous cystitis(EC) in diabetic patients is extremely rare. Clinical presentations are often non-specific and display the signs and symptoms of peritonitis. The diagnosis is usually made after exploratory laparotomy.

CASE REPORT

A 70-year-old diabetic woman presented to the emergency department with sudden diffuse abdominal pain and hematuria of six hours duration. Physical examination revealed generalized peritonitis. Multi-slice abdominal and pelvic CT scans showed free air and fluid in the abdominal cavity. After proper resuscitation, the patient was transferred to the operating room for exploratory laparotomy. A 2 cm full-thickness bladder rupture was noted at the dome of the bladder, which was repaired.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

We noticed free air in the urinary bladder wall postoperatively in the CT scan, which is the radiological sign of EC. The Pathology result was in concordance with the diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

SRUB in patients with poorly controlled diabetes and EC is highlighted in this case study. Urinary bladder rupture secondary to EC should be considered When a diabetic patient with a history of urinary symptoms presents with an acute onset of abdominal pain suggestive of peritonitis. Uneventful recovery from SRUB is dependent on early diagnosis and treatment.

Spontaneous Rupture of Urinary Bladder: Two Case Reports and Review of Literature

Objectives: Spontaneous rupture of the urinary bladder (SRUB) is extremely rare and might be misdiagnosed, leading to a high mortality rate. The current study aimed to identify the cause, clinical features, and diagnosis strategy of SRUB. Methodology: We presented a case report for two women (79 and 63 years old) misdiagnosed with acute abdomen and acute kidney injury, respectively, who were finally confirmed to have SRUB by a series of investigations and exploratory surgery. Meanwhile, literature from multiple databases was reviewed. PubMed, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), the Chinese Biological Medical Literature Database (CBM), WANFANG DATA, and the Chongqing VIP database for Chinese Technical Periodicals (VIP) were searched with the keywords "spontaneous bladder rupture" or "spontaneous rupture of bladder" or "spontaneous rupture of urinary bladder." All statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 20.0 software. Results: A total of 137 Chinese and 182 English literature papers were included in this article review. A total of 713 SRUB patients were analyzed, including the two patients reported by us. The most common cause of SRUB was alcohol intoxication, lower urinary tract obstruction, bladder tumor or inflammation, pregnancy-related causes, bladder dysfunction, pelvic radiotherapy, and history of bladder surgery or bladder diverticulum. Most cases were diagnosed by exploratory laparotomy and CT cystography. Patients with extraperitoneal rupture could present with abdominal pain, abdominal distention, dysuria, oliguria or anuria, and fever. While the main symptoms of intraperitoneal rupture patients could be various and non-specific. The common misdiagnoses include acute abdomen, inflammatory digestive disease, bladder tumor or inflammation, and renal failure. Most of the patients (84.57%) were treated by open surgical repair, and most of them were intraperitoneal rupture patients. Overall, 1.12% of patients were treated by laparoscopic surgery, and all of them were intraperitoneal rupture patients. Besides, 17 intraperitoneal rupture patients and 6 extraperitoneal rupture patients were treated by indwelling catheterization and antibiotic therapy. Nine patients died of delayed diagnosis and treatment. Conclusions: SRUB often presents with various and non-specific symptoms, which results in misdiagnosis or delayed treatment. Medical staff noticing abdominal pain suggestive of peritonitis with urinary symptoms should be suspicious of bladder rupture, especially in patients with a history of bladder disease. CT cystography can be the best preoperative non-invasive examination tool for both diagnosis and evaluation. Conservative management in the form of urine drainage and antibiotic therapy can be used in patients without severe infection, bleeding, or major injury. Otherwise, surgical treatment is recommended. Early diagnosis and management of SRUB are crucial for an uneventful recovery.

Treatment of complicated bladder rupture with novel percutaneous interventional treatment technique

Bladder rupture (BR) is very rare and usually occurs after high-energy events. Although high success rates have been reported for surgical intervention, it has not been clearly stated in the literature what could be done in cases where surgery has been unsuccessful. In this case report, we aimed to demonstrate that we provided treatment with the novel interventional technique in our young patient whose urinary leakage and sepsis persisted despite repeated surgeries and prolonged nephrostomy catheter drainage.

Gunshot wounds to the penis and scrotum: a narrative review of management in civilian and military settings

Gunshot wounds (GSW) to the penis and scrotum are present in two thirds of all genitourinary (GU) trauma, with a growing proportion of blast injuries in the military setting. Depending on the energy of the projectile, the injury patterns present differently for military and civilian GSWs. In this review, we sought to provide a detailed overview of GSWs to the external genitalia, from mechanisms to management. We examine how ballistic injury impacts tissues, as well as the types of injuries that occur, and how to assess these injuries to the external genitalia. If there is concern for injury to the deep structures of the penis or scrotum, operative exploration and repair is warranted. Relevant history and physical examination, role of imaging, and choice of conservative or surgical treatment options in the civilian and military setting are discussed, as well as guidelines for management set forth by the American Urological Association (AUA) and European Association of Urology (EAU).

Damage Control for renal trauma: the more conservative the surgeon, better for the kidney

Urologic trauma is frequently reported in patients with penetrating trauma. Currently, the computerized tomography and vascular approach through angiography/embolization are the standard approaches for renal trauma. However, the management of renal or urinary tract trauma in a patient with hemodynamic instability and criteria for emergency laparotomy, is a topic of discussion. This article presents the consensus of the Trauma and Emergency Surgery Group (CTE) from Cali, for the management of penetrating renal and urinary tract trauma through damage control surgery. Intrasurgical perirenal hematoma characteristics, such as if it is expanding or actively bleeding, can be reference for deciding whether a conservative approach with subsequent radiological studies is possible. However, if there is evidence of severe kidney trauma, surgical exploration is mandatory and entails a high probability of requiring a nephrectomy. Urinary tract damage control should be conservative and deferred, because this type of trauma does not represent a risk in acute trauma management.

Non-Operative Management of Iatrogenic Intraperitoneal Bladder Injury Following a Cesarean Section

Iatrogenic bladder injuries with intraperitoneal extravasations are standardly managed surgically. However, we are presenting a case of iatrogenic intraperitoneal bladder injury developing after a cesarean section that was managed successfully by conservative therapy after tapping and pigtail drainage of 14 days. On the next follow up, which was 14 days later, there was a complete resolution with no signs of injury. Therefore, the trial of conservative approach may prove beneficial to minimize the chances of any invasive interventions in such cases.

Impact of Genitourinary Injuries on Patients Requiring an Emergency Laparotomy for Trauma

Introduction

In patients having emergency abdominal surgery for trauma, the presence of urologic injury tends to increase mortality and morbidity.

Methods

This retrospective study evaluated patients requiring emergency surgery for abdominal trauma at a Level 1 Trauma Center over 30 years (1980-2010). Special attention was given to patients with concomitant genitourinary (GU) injuries.

Results

Of 1105 patients requiring an emergency laparotomy for trauma, 242 (22%) had urologic injuries including kidney 178 (16%), ureter 47 (4%), and bladder 46 (4%). Of the 242 patients, 50 (20%) died early (<48 hours) and 13 (5%) died later, primarily due to infection. A concept of “seven deadly signs” of hypoperfusion was developed. In patients with GU injuries, the presence of any deadly sign of hypoperfusion increased the mortality rate from 4% (6/152) to 63% (56/90), p<0.001. Of the 53 patients having a nephrectomy, 36 (68%) had one or more deadly signs and 27 (75%) died. Of 17 without deadly signs, only 2 (12%) died (p=0.001). Of 167 GU patients receiving blood, 59 (35%) developed infection vs 3/75(4%) in those receiving no blood (p<0.001).

Conclusions

The presence of deadly signs of severe injury and hypoperfusion on admission was the major factor determining mortality. With a severely injured kidney plus any deadly signs of hypoperfusion, special efforts should be made to avoid a nephrectomy.

Traumatic renal injury: Five-year experience at a major trauma centre in South Africa

BACKGROUND

This study is intended to assess the current optimal management of traumatic renal injuries (TRIs), with a focus on high-grade and penetrating injuries.

METHODS

The Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service registry was interrogated retrospectively for patients managed for TRI between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2016.

RESULTS

Of 13,315 inured patients treated by the PMTS, 223 (1.7%) had TRIs with an incidence of 1.5 per 100,000 population per year. The majority were males between 20 and 39 years of age. The distribution of mechanism of injury was 56.1% (n = 125) blunt and 43.9% (n = 98) penetrating trauma with no association between mechanism and grade of injury. Penetrating trauma was associated with hollow viscus and diaphragm injuries and blunt trauma with solid organ injuries. A total of 118 patients (52.9%) were managed non-operatively, 60 (26.9%) were not explored at operation, 27 (12.1%) underwent initial nephrectomy and 8 (3.6%) underwent renorraphy. Low-grade injuries (AAST I and II) and high-grade injuries (AAST III-V) were managed without renal intervention (non-operatively or not explored at laparotomy for associated injuries) in 88.7% (n = 87) and 72.0% (n = 91) of cases respectively. Blunt and penetrating injuries were managed without renal intervention in 87.9% (n = 109) and 70% (n = 69) of cases respectively. The initial nephrectomy rate was 1% (n = 1) and 20.6% (n = 26) for low- and high-grade injuries respectively, and 6.5% (n = 8) and 19% (n = 19) for blunt and penetrating injuries respectively. High grade (AAST III-V) injury (OR 14.94; 95% CI 3.36 - 66.34; p<0.001), penetrating mechanism (OR 4.99; 95% CI 1.98 - 12.52; p = 0.001) and metabolic acidosis (OR 2.73; 95% CI 1.04 - 7.20; p = 0.042) were significant risk factors for nephrectomy. Four patients (1.8%) underwent ureteral stent insertion and 2 (0.9%) underwent embolisation. The failure rate of initial non-operative management was 1.1%. The mortality rate was 8.1% (n = 18), but no patients with solitary renal injuries died.

CONCLUSION

Even in high-grade injuries and penetrating trauma, the majority of patients with TRI can be managed non-operatively or with the assistance of endourological or endovascular techniques, with good outcomes. Risk factors for nephrectomy include the presence of high-grade injuries, penetrating trauma and metabolic acidosis on presentation.

Traumatic kidney injuries: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Traumatic kidney injury is an infrequent event with a wide range of injury patterns. The aim of this paper is to review the incidence, mechanisms of injury, diagnostic methods, and therapeutic indications of renal injury according to the most recent evidence and to perform an analysis of mortality rates on these patients.

OBJECTIVES

To perform a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis on traumatic kidney injuries.

DATA SOURCES

A literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases. Articles published in English, French and Spanish were selected from 1963 to 2018. MeSH terms utilized were renal trauma, kidney trauma, blunt renal trauma, and penetrating renal trauma.

STUDY PARTICIPANTS

The eligibility criteria included only original and human subject articles. Articles not involving human patients, cancer related, review articles, surveys, iatrogenic injuries, pediatric patients, and case reports were excluded from this search.

RESULTS

Forty-six articles met the inclusion criteria of which 48,660 patients were identified and included in this review. Gender was reported in 32,918 cases, of which 75.3% of patients were male with a mean age of 33 years. Of the 44,865 patients where the mechanism of injury was described, we identified 36,086 (80.5%) patients that sustained blunt trauma, while 8,779 (19.5%) were due to penetrating mechanisms. Twenty one series with a total of 31,689 patients included the mortality rate. Overall mortality rate with exact binomial 95% confidence interval estimated via random effects model was 6.4% (4.8%-8.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

Non-operative management has become the standard in renal trauma management with good results in morbidity and mortality. This has resulted in a decrease in the number of unnecessary iatrogenic nephrectomies and potential improvement in a patient's quality of life. When an invasive treatment is necessary, angioembolization for active bleeding or nephrorrhaphy is usually sufficient.

Kidney and uro-trauma: WSES-AAST guidelines

Renal and urogenital injuries occur in approximately 10-20% of abdominal trauma in adults and children. Optimal management should take into consideration the anatomic injury, the hemodynamic status, and the associated injuries. The management of urogenital trauma aims to restore homeostasis and normal physiology especially in pediatric patients where non-operative management is considered the gold standard. As with all traumatic conditions, the management of urogenital trauma should be multidisciplinary including urologists, interventional radiologists, and trauma surgeons, as well as emergency and ICU physicians. The aim of this paper is to present the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) kidney and urogenital trauma management guidelines.

Non-operative management of solid organ injuries in children: An American Pediatric Surgical Association Outcomes and Evidence Based Practice Committee systematic review

PURPOSE

The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) guidelines for the treatment of isolated solid organ injury (SOI) in children were published in 2000 and have been widely adopted. The aim of this systematic review by the APSA Outcomes and Evidence Based Practice Committee was to evaluate the published evidence regarding treatment of solid organ injuries in children.

METHODS

A comprehensive search strategy was crafted and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were utilized to identify, review, and report salient articles. Four principal questions were examined based upon the previously published consensus APSA guidelines regarding length of stay (LOS), activity level, interventional radiologic procedures, and follow-up imaging. A literature search was performed including multiple databases from 1996 to 2016.

RESULTS

LOS for children with isolated solid organ injuries should be based upon clinical findings and may not be related to grade of injury. Total LOS may be less than recommended by the previously published APSA guidelines. Restricting activity to grade of injury plus two weeks is safe but shorter periods of activity restriction have not been adequately studied. Prophylactic embolization of SOI in stable patients with image-confirmed arterial extravasation is not indicated and should be reserved for patients with evidence of ongoing bleeding. Routine follow-up imaging for asymptomatic, uncomplicated, low-grade injured children with abdominal blunt trauma is not warranted. Limited data are available to support the need for follow-up imaging for high grade injuries.

CONCLUSION

Based upon review of the recent literature, we recommend an update to the current APSA guidelines that includes: hospital length of stay based on physiology, shorter activity restrictions may be safe, minimizing post-injury imaging for lower injury grades and embolization only in patients with evidence of ongoing hemorrhage.

TYPE OF STUDY

Systematic Review.

LEVELS OF EVIDENCE

Levels 2-4.

Simultaneous Rupture of the Bladder and Pelvicaliceal System Because of Blunt Abdominal Trauma: A Rare Case

We present a unique case of simultaneous rupture of the bladder and left renal pelvis after blunt trauma to the lower abdomen. To the best of our knowledge, this has not yet been reported in the literature. Another unusual aspect of this case was that the bladder rupture was bilateral, with both an extra- and intraperitoneal component. The management of this case was challenging. This involved an emergency laparotomy to repair the bladder tear, followed by a nephrostomy. This was followed by left ureteral stent insertion using a rendezvous technique. The case also highlights the role of expectant conservative management relating to the concurrent left renal pelvic rupture.

A contemporary review of adult bladder trauma

Injuries to the bladder are infrequent and commonly result from blunt, penetrating, or iatrogenic trauma. Bladder injuries may be missed as they often present concomitantly with other abdominal and pelvic injuries; however, early detection and treatment are essential as morbidity and mortality may be significant. Gross hematuria, especially in the setting of pelvic fractures, may be indicative of a bladder injury which can be confirmed with cystography. Extraperitoneal injuries are commonly managed conservatively with catheter drainage while intraperitoneal ruptures traditionally required surgical exploration and closure. Presented is a contemporary review which encapsulates the etiology, presentation, assessment, and management of bladder injuries.

[Abdominal injuries in polytraumatized adults : Systematic review]

Abdominal injuries are potentially life-threatening and occur in 20-25% of all polytraumatized patients. Blunt trauma is the main mechanism. The liver and spleen are most commonly injured and much less often the intestines. The clinical evaluation proves equivocal in many cases; therefore, the gold standard is computed tomography (CT), which has been increasingly used even in hemodynamically weakly stable or sometimes even unstable patients because it promptly provides precise diagnostic findings, which present the basis for successful therapy. Hemodynamically unstable patients always need an exploratory laparotomy (EL). An EL should also be carried out with a positive focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) or CT for severe parenchymal lesions, hollow organ lesions, intraperitoneal bladder lesions, peritonitis and organ evisceration, impalement injuries and lesions of the abdominal fascia. Hemodynamically stable patients without signs of peritonitis and a lack of such findings can often be treated conservatively irrespective of the extent of an injury. Angiography (and if needed embolization) can additionally be diagnostically and therapeutically utilized.

Utility of MDCT findings in predicting patient management outcomes in renal trauma

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to assess the utility of computed tomography (CT) in predicting clinical outcomes in renal trauma.

MATERIALS/METHODS

This retrospective study was IRB approved and HIPAA compliant; informed consent was waived. One-hundred-sixty-two, trauma-related renal injuries (157 adults) from January 01, 2006 to December 31, 2013 were included in this retrospective study. CT findings of vascular and collecting system (CS) injuries were recorded, and American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) renal injury grades were assigned. Fisher's exact test evaluated correlations between AAST grade and active hemorrhage, AAST grade and surgical/endovascular therapy, active hemorrhage and surgical/endovascular therapy, and size of perinephric hematomas and CS injuries. The unpaired t test correlated to the size of perinephric hematomas in CS injuries diagnosed on initial versus repeat imaging.

RESULTS

AAST grades were as follows: 120 grades I-III and 42 grade IV/V. Active hemorrhage was diagnosed in 25 (15%) patients and CS injury in 22 (14%) patients. Seven (8%) patients received surgical/endovascular therapy. There were statistically significant correlations between AAST grade and active hemorrhage (p = 0.003), active hemorrhage and surgical/endovascular therapy (p < 0.0001), and large perinephric hematomas (>2 cm) and CS injuries (p < 0.0001). There was no significant correlation between AAST grade and surgical/endovascular therapy (p = 0.08). Of the CS injuries (50%), 11/22 had no evidence of CS injury on initial imaging, being detected on follow-up CT. These "masked cases" demonstrated significant differences in perinephric hematoma size when compared to CS injuries diagnosed on initial imaging (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Active hemorrhage in renal trauma is a significant predictor of surgical/endovascular therapy, in contradistinction to the AAST grade. In collecting system injuries, a large fraction was not detectable on initial CT, supporting the need for repeat imaging in cases with large perinephric hematomas.

The incidence, spectrum and outcomes of traumatic bladder injuries within the Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the incidence, spectrum and outcomes of traumatic bladder injury in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and to identify the current optimal investigation and management of patients with traumatic bladder injuries.

METHODS

The Pietermaritzburg Metropolitan Trauma Service (PMTS) trauma registry was interrogated retrospectively for all traumatic bladder injuries between 1 January 2012 and 31 October 2014.

RESULTS

Of 8129 patients treated by the PMTS over the study period, 58 patients (0.7% or 6.5 cases per 1,000,000 population per year) had bladder injuries, 65% caused by penetrating trauma and 35% by blunt trauma. The majority (60%) were intraperitoneal bladder ruptures (IBRs), followed by 22% extraperitoneal bladder ruptures (EBRs). There was a high rate of associated injury, with blunt trauma being associated with pelvic fracture and penetrating trauma being associated with rectum and small intestine injuries. The mortality rate was 5%. Most bladder injuries were diagnosed at surgery or by computed tomography (CT) scan. All IBRs were managed operatively, as well as 38% of EBRs; the remaining EBRs were managed by catheter drainage and observation. In the majority of operative repairs, the bladder was closed in two layers, and was drained with only a urethral catheter. Most patients (91%) were managed definitively by the surgeons on the trauma service.

CONCLUSION

Traumatic bladder rupture caused by blunt or penetrating trauma is rare and mortality is due to associated injuries. CT scan is the investigative modality of choice. In our environment IBR is more common than EBR and requires operative management. Most EBRs can be managed non-operatively, and then require routine follow-up cystography. Simple traumatic bladder injuries can be managed definitively by trauma surgeons. A dedicated urological surgeon should be consulted for complex injuries.

Guideline of guidelines: a review of urological trauma guidelines

OBJECTIVE

To review the guidelines released in the last decade by several organisations for the optimal evaluation and management of genitourinary injuries (renal, ureteric, bladder, urethral and genital).

METHODS

This is a review of the genitourinary trauma guidelines from the European Association of Urology (EAU) and the American Urological Association (AUA), and renal trauma guidelines from the Société Internationale d'Urologie (SIU).

RESULTS

Most recommendations are guided by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) organ injury severity system. Grade A evidence is rare in genitourinary trauma, and most recommendations are based on Grade B or C evidence. The findings of the most recent urological trauma guidelines are summarised. All guidelines recommend conservative management for low-grade injuries. The major difference is for haemodynamically stable patients who have high-grade renal trauma; the SIU guidelines recommend exploratory laparotomy, the EAU guidelines recommend renal exploration only if the injury is vascular, and the AUA guidelines recommend initial conservative management.

CONCLUSION

There is generally consensus among the three guidelines. Recommendations are based on observational or retrospective studies, as well as clinical principles and expert opinions. Multi-institutional collaborative research can improve the quality of evidence and direct more effective evaluation and management of urological trauma.