Multiplicity of solid organ injury: influence on management and outcomes after blunt abdominal trauma

Contemporary management of adult splenic injuries: What you need to know

ABSTRACT

The spleen is a frequently injured organ, with over 40,000 adult splenic injuries occurring yearly. It plays an important role in the body's immune system, so surgeons should make every effort to perform splenic salvage when able. In blunt injury, indications for emergent splenectomy have not recently changed and include hemodynamic instability and peritonitis. A computed tomography (CT) scan with intravenous contrast is the preferred imaging modality for hemodynamically normal patients and should be used to classify the grade of injury and identify active bleeding and its stigmata. Nonoperative management has been successful for all grades of blunt injury (80-95%), but it is the job of the surgeon to carefully select the patient, in the context of their age, other associated injuries, and splenic CT findings, so this success rate remains high. Angioembolization is an important tool for splenic salvage that should be used when an actively bleeding vessel is observed on CT scan. Both proximal and distal embolizations are effective with no data to suggest that one is superior to the other. All patients selected for nonoperative management require close monitoring, which can include interval CT scans for high-grade injuries. Penetrating splenic injuries differ from blunt injuries because they are more likely to be surgically explored on presentation and they have a higher operative splenorrhaphy rate.

Treatment of blunt splenic injury in children in China

Introduction

Nonoperative management (NOM) is recognized as a viable treatment for pediatric closed splenic trauma. However, clinical guidelines are applied inconsistently, resulting in different treatment strategies in different regions. This study aimed to investigate the independent risk factors influencing the length of stay in pediatric closed splenic injuries and to analyze the key determinants in the choice of surgical treatment to optimize inpatient management and patient care and improve outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective evaluation of medical records of pediatric patients with blunt splenic injury (BSI) admitted to Wuhan Children's Hospital from 2020 to 2024 was conducted. The dataset included demographics, mechanism of injury, injury grade, associated injuries, therapeutic measures, and outcomes, which were subjected to statistical analysis. Factors influencing length of hospital stay and treatment regimen were also analyzed.

Results

A total of 88.5% of patients underwent NOM, with 11% requiring splenic embolization due to hemodynamic instability or arterial hemorrhage. Surgery was required in 11.5% of patients, primarily for combined gastrointestinal perforation, or peritonitis. One patient died due to brain injury. Trauma scores and transfusion requirements were higher in the surgical group (37.7 ± 16.1 vs. 17.2 ± 13.1, p < 0.001; 21.7% vs. 100%, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression showed that gastrointestinal complications significantly influenced the decision to operate (p = 0.0087). A generalized additive model showed a corresponding increase in length of stay with increasing injury severity, with the curve flattening in the mid to high ISS range (40-60).

Conclusion

NOM remains an effective and preferred treatment strategy for pediatric BSI, particularly in the setting of stable hemodynamic parameters. This approach reduces the need for surgical intervention and associated complications while preserving splenic function. The study highlights that gastrointestinal complications are important determinants of surgical management. Further research into long-term outcomes and advancements in conservative management are needed.

Evaluation of management of CT scan proved solid organ injury in blunt injury abdomen-a prospective study

BACKGROUND

Trauma especially road traffic injury is one of the major health-related issues throughout the world, especially in developing countries like India (Mattox 2022). Solid organ injury is the most common cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with blunt abdominal trauma. The non-operative management (NOM) is being consistently followed for hemodynamically stable patients with respect to solid organ injuries. This study aims to provide an evidence base for management modalities of solid organ injuries in blunt abdominal trauma.

AIM

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of various treatment modalities for solid organ injury in blunt abdominal trauma.

OBJECTIVES

Evaluating the characteristics of blunt abdominal injury with respect to age and gender; distribution, mode of injury, most common organ injured, and severity of injury; effect of delay in getting treatment on the management outcome for patients with solid organ injury; evaluating the various modalities of treatment of CT-proven solid organ injury; incidence of complications in different modes of treatment.

METHODS

All patients aged more than 18 years and suffering from CT-proven solid organ injury secondary to blunt abdominal trauma between February 2021 and September 2022 were included in this prospective observational study. Sixty-five patients were enrolled in the study after meeting the inclusion criteria. Details such as age, gender, mechanism of injury, the time between injury to first hospital contact, presenting complaints, organ and grade of injury, Revised Trauma Score (RTS), Trauma Score and Injury Severity Score (TRISS), management, and outcomes were collected using self-designed pro forma and analyzed. Different modalities of treatment were evaluated and patients undergoing operative and non-operative management were compared. Patients in whom non-operative management failed were compared with patients with successful non-operative management.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients involved were 36.8 years with a male:female ratio of 7.125:1 and the most common age group affected being between 21 and 30 years. The most common mode of injury was noted to be road traffic accidents (72.3%). The most common presenting complaints were abdominal pain (64.6%) followed by chest pain (29.2%) and vomiting (13.8%). There was no significant relationship between latent period and type of intervention or failure of non-operative management. FAST positivity rate was noted to be 92.3%. Chronic alcoholism and bronchial asthma were significant predictors for patients undergoing upfront surgery (p = 0.003 and 0.006 respectively). The presence of pelvic and spine injury was statistically significant for predicting mortality in polytrauma patients (p = 0.003). Concurrent adrenal injury was found in 24.6% of patients but was not related to failure of non-operative management or mortality. RTS significantly predicts the multitude of organ involvement (p = 0.015). The liver was the most common organ injured (60%) followed by the spleen (52.3%) and the kidney (20%). The liver and the spleen (9.2%) were noted to be the most common organ combination involved. No specific organ or organ injury combination was noted to predict failure of non-operative management or mortality. But the multitude of organ involvement was statistically significant for predicting patients undergoing upfront surgery (p = 0.011). Out of 65 patients enrolled in the study, 7 patients (10.8%) underwent immediate surgery, and 58 patients (89.2%) underwent non-operative management. Among the 68 chosen for non-operative management, 6 patients (9.2%) failed non-operative management and 52 patients (80%) had success of non-operative management. A significant drop in hemoglobin (83.3%) on day 1 (66.6%) was seen to be the commonest reason for failure of non-operative management. The spleen was noted to be the most commonly involved organ intra-operatively (61.5%) followed by the liver (30.8%). Concordance between pre-operative and intra-operative grading of organ injuries was highest for liver and kidney injuries (100%) and lowest for pancreatic injuries (0%). Requirement of blood transfusion and liver injuries were significant factors for failure of non-operative management (p = 0.012 and 0.045 respectively). The presence of pancreatic leak was significant between the non-operated patients and patients operated upfront (p = 0.003). Mortality was noted to be 10.8% (7 patients) in our study.

CONCLUSION

Solid organ injury in blunt abdominal trauma is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. RTS was noted to be a good predictor for solid organ injury in blunt abdominal trauma. Pancreatic injuries are notorious for being under-staged on CT findings; hence, the need arises for multimodality imaging for suspected pancreatic injuries. Non-operative management is a successful modality of treatment for majority of patients suffering from multiple solid organ injuries in blunt abdominal trauma provided serial close monitoring of patient's clinical signs and hemoglobin is instituted along with the presence of an emergency surgery team.

AAST grade of liver injury is not the single most important consideration in decision making for liver trauma

BACKGROUND

The liver is one of the most injured organs in both blunt and penetrating trauma. The aim of this study was to identify whether the AAST liver injury grade is predictive of need for intervention, risk of complications and mortality in our patient population, and whether this differs between blunt and penetrating-trauma mechanisms.

METHODS

Retrospective review of all liver injuries from a single high-volume metropolitan trauma centre in South Africa from December 2012 to January 2022. Inclusion criteria were all adults who had sustained traumatic liver injury. Patients were excluded if they were under 15 years of age or had died prior to operation or assessment. Statistical analysis was undertaken using both univariate and multivariate models.

RESULTS

709 patients were included, of which 351 sustained penetrating and 358 blunt trauma. Only 24.3 % of blunt compared to 76.4 % of penetrating trauma patients underwent laparotomy (p< 0.001). In blunt trauma, increasing AAST grade correlated directly with rates of laparotomy with an odds ratio of 1.7 (p < 0.001). In penetrating trauma, there was no statistical significance between increasing AAST grade and the rate of laparotomy. The rate of bile leak was 4.5 % (32/709) and of rebleed was 0.7 % (5/709). Five patients underwent ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy for bile leak, and three required angio-embolization for rebleeding. Increasing AAST grades were significantly associated with the odds of bile leak in both blunt and penetrating trauma. There was a statistically significant increase in the odds of a rebleed with increasing AAST grade in penetrating trauma. Five patients rebled, of which three died. Seven patients developed hepatic necrosis. Seventy-six patients died (10 %). There were 34/358 (9 %) deaths in the blunt cohort and 42 /351 (11 %) deaths in the penetrating trauma cohort.

CONCLUSION

AAST grade in isolation is not a good predictor of the need for operation in hepatic trauma. Increasing AAST grade was not found to correlate with increased risk of mortality for both blunt and penetrating hepatic trauma. In both blunt and penetrating trauma, increasing AAST grade is significantly associated with increased bile leak. The need for ERCP and endoscopic sphincterotomy to manage bile leak in our setting is low. Similarly, the rate of rebleeding and of angioembolization was low.

Pectin based biologic Velcro effectively seals traumatic solid organ and small bowel injuries

INTRODUCTION

Injuries to the liver and small bowel are common in multiple injuries. While there are currently a variety of accepted damage-control techniques to expeditiously manage such injuries, morbidity and mortality remain high. Pectin polymers have previously been shown to effectively seal visceral organ injuries ex vivo through physiochemical entanglement with the glycocalyx. We sought to compare the standard of care for the management of penetrating liver and small bowel injuries with a pectin-based bioadhesive patch in a live animal model.

METHODS

Fifteen adult male swine underwent a laparotomy with standardized laceration to the liver. Animals were randomized to one of three treatment arms: packing with laparotomy pads (n = 5), suture repair (n = 5), or pectin patch repair (n = 5). Following 2 hours of observation, fluid was evacuated from the abdominal cavity and weighed. Next, a full-thickness small bowel injury was created, and animals were randomized to either a sutured repair (n = 7) or pectin patch repair (n = 8). The segment of bowel was then pressurized with saline, and the burst pressure was recorded.

RESULTS

All animals survived the protocol to completion. There were no clinically significant differences between groups regarding baseline vitals or laboratory studies. On one-way analysis of variance, there was a statistically significant difference between groups regarding blood loss after liver repair (26 mL suture vs. 33 mL pectin vs. 142 mL packing, p < 0.01). On post hoc analysis, there was no statistically significant difference between suture and pectin ( p = 0.9). After repair, small bowel burst pressures were similar between pectin and suture repair (234 vs. 224 mm Hg, p = 0.7).

CONCLUSION

Pectin-based bioadhesive patches performed similarly to the standard of care for the management of liver lacerations and full-thickness bowel injuries. Further testing is warranted to assess the biodurability of a pectin patch repair, as it may offer a simple option to effectively temporize traumatic intra-abdominal injuries.

An evidence-based approach to forensic life-threat assessments using spleen injuries as an example

INTRODUCTION

During the judicial process of addressing violent crime, a forensic practitioner may need to assess whether an inflicted injury should be considered life-threatening. This could be important for the classification of the crime. To some extent, these assessments are arbitrary since the natural course of an injury might not be completely known. To guide the assessment, a quantitative and transparent method based on rates of mortality and acute interventions is suggested, using spleen injuries as an example.

METHOD

The electronic database PubMed was searched using the term "spleen injuries" for articles reporting on rates of mortality and interventions such as surgery and angioembolization in spleen injuries. By combining these different rates, a method for a transparent and quantitative assessment of the risk to life across the natural course of spleen injuries is presented.

RESULTS

A total of 301 articles were identified, and 33 of these were included in the study. The mortality rate of spleen injuries, as reported in studies, varied between 0% and 2.9% in children, and between 0% and 15.4% in adults. However, when combining the rates of acute interventions and the mortality rates, the risk of death across the natural course of spleen injuries was estimated as 9.7% in children, and 46.4% in adults.

CONCLUSION

The calculated risk of death across the natural course of spleen injuries in adults was considerable higher than the observed mortality. A similar but smaller effect was observed in children. The forensic assessment of life-threat in cases involving spleen injury needs further research; however, the applied method is a step towards an evidence-based practice for forensic life-threat assessments.

Contribution by Dr Timothy C Fabian: liver trauma

The liver is the most commonly injured organ within the abdomen. Dr Fabian and his associates have made remarkable contributions to our understanding and management of these injuries. The current review summarizes the contributions.

Management of blunt splenic injury: down the rabbit hole and into the bucket

Management of splenic trauma has changed dramatically over the past 30 years. Many of these advances were driven by the Memphis team under the leadership of Dr. Timothy Fabian. This review article summarizes some of those changes in clinical care, especially related to nonoperative management and angioembolization.

Non-operative management of blunt splenic trauma: evolution, results and controversies

The spleen is one of the most frequently affected organs in blunt abdominal trauma. Since Upadhyaya, the treatment of splenic trauma has undergone important changes. Currently, the consensus is that every splenic trauma presenting with hemodynamic stability should be initially treated nonoperatively, provided that the hospital has adequate structure and the patient does not present other conditions that indicate abdominal exploration. However, several topics regarding the nonoperative management (NOM) of splenic trauma are still controversial. Splenic angioembolization is a very useful tool for NOM, but there is no consensus on its precise indications. There is no definition in the literature as to how NOM should be conducted, neither about the periodicity of hematimetric control, the transfusion threshold that defines NOM failure, when to start venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, the need for control imaging, the duration of bed rest, and when it is safe to discharge the patient. The aim of this review is to make a critical analysis of the most recent literature on this topic, exposing the state of the art in the NOM of splenic trauma.

Predictors of splenectomy after failure of non-operative management: An analysis of the nation trauma database from 2013 to 2014

Introduction

There is practice variability in non-operative management (NOM) of blunt splenic trauma. This is particularly true for management decisions following failure of NOM, i.e. splenectomy versus angioembolization (AE). The objective of this study was to identify predictors of splenectomy versus AE in patients who failed NOM.

Methods

We included adult patients from the National Trauma Data Bank for 2013–2014, who had a splenic injury and who were admitted to a Level I Trauma Center (L1TC). Patients undergoing splenectomy after 2 h of emergency department arrival were deemed to have failed NOM. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to identify independent predictors of intervention after failed NOM.

Results

There were 2284 patients admitted for splenic injury between 2013 and 2014 who failed NOM. A total of 1253 patients underwent AE and 1031 patients underwent splenectomy. Seven independent factors were identified that predicted failure of NOM: penetrating injury, community L1TC, hospital bed size, number of trauma surgeons on call, functional dependence, chronic steroid use, and cirrhosis.

Conclusions

Seven independent variables were identified that predicted failure of NOM. These results contribute to the body of data regarding management of blunt splenic injury. Knowing predictive factors could help personalize management of patients, minimize delay of care, efficient resource allocation, and inform future studies.

Non-operative management of blunt hepatic and splenic injury: a time-trend and outcome analysis over a period of 17 years

Background

A widespread shift to non-operative management (NOM) for blunt hepatic and splenic injuries has been observed in most centers worldwide. Furthermore, many countries introduced safety measures to systematically reduce severe traffic and leisure sports injuries. This study aims to evaluate the effect of these nationwide implementations on individual patient characteristics and outcomes through a time-trend analysis over 17 years in an Austrian high-volume trauma center.

Methods

A retrospective review of all emergency trauma patients admitted to the Medical University of Innsbruck from 2000 to 2016. Injury severity, clinical data on admission, operative and non-operative treatment parameters, complications, and in-hospital mortality were evaluated.

Results

In total, 731 patients were treated with blunt hepatic and/or splenic injuries. Among these, 368 had a liver injury, 280 splenic injury, and 83 combined hepatic/splenic injury. Initial NOM was performed in 82.6% of all patients (93.5% in hepatic and 71.8% in splenic injuries) with a success rate of 96.7%. The secondary failure rate of NOM was 3.3% and remained consistent over 17 years (p = 0.515). In terms of injury severity, we observed a reduction over time, resulting in an overall mortality rate of 4.8% and 3.5% in the NOM group (decreasing from 7.5 to 1.9% and from 5.6 to 1.3%, respectively). These outcomes confirmed an improved utilization of the NOM approach.

Conclusion

Our cohort represents one of the largest Central European single-center experiences available in the literature. NOM is the standard of care for blunt hepatic and splenic injuries and successful in > 96% of all patients. This rate was quite constant over 17 years (p = 0.515). Overall, national and regional safety measures resulted in a significantly decreased severity of observed injury patterns and deaths due to blunt hepatic or splenic trauma. Although surgery is nowadays only applied in about one third of splenic injury patients in our center, these numbers might further decrease by intensified application of interventional radiology and modern coagulation management.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13017-019-0249-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Safety of selective nonoperative management for blunt splenic trauma: the impact of concomitant injuries

Background

Nonoperative management for blunt splenic injury is the preferred treatment. To improve the outcome of selective nonoperative therapy, the current challenge is to identify factors that predict failure. Little is known about the impact of concomitant injury on outcome. Our study has two goals. First, to determine whether concomitant injury affects the safety of selective nonoperative treatment. Secondly we aimed to identify factors that can predict failure.

Methods

From our prospective trauma registry we selected all nonoperatively treated adult patients with blunt splenic trauma admitted between 01.01.2000 and 12.21.2013. All concurrent injuries with an AIS ≥ 2 were scored. We grouped and compared patients sustaining solitary splenic injuries and patients with concomitant injuries. To identify specific factors that predict failure we used a multivariable regression analysis.

Results

A total of 79 patients were included. Failure of nonoperative therapy (n = 11) and complications only occurred in patients sustaining concomitant injury. Furthermore, ICU-stay as well as hospitalization time were significantly prolonged in the presence of associated injury (4 versus 13 days,p < 0.05). Mortality was not seen. Multivariable analysis revealed the presence of a femur fracture and higher age as predictors of failure.

Conclusions

Nonoperative management for hemodynamically normal patients with blunt splenic injury is feasible and safe, even in the presence of concurrent (non-hollow organ) injuries or a contrast blush on CT. However, associated injuries are related to prolonged intensive care unit- and hospital stay, complications, and failure of nonoperative management. Specifically, higher age and the presence of a femur fracture are predictors of failure.

The need for red blood cell transfusions in the emergency department as a risk factor for failure of non-operative management of splenic trauma: a multicenter prospective study

INTRODUCTION

The majority of patients with splenic trauma undergo non-operative management (NOM); around 15% of these cases fail NOM and require surgery. The aim of the current study is to assess whether the hemodynamic status of the patient represents a risk factor for failure of NOM (fNOM) and if this may be considered a relevant factor in the decision-making process, especially in Centers where AE (angioembolization), intensive monitoring and 24-h-operating room are not available. Furthermore, the presence of additional risk factors for fNOM was investigated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This is a multicentre prospective observational study, including patients presenting with blunt splenic trauma older than 17 years, managed between 2014 and 2016 in two Italian trauma centres (ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII in Bergamo and Sant'Anna University Hospital in Ferrara-Italy). The risk factors for fNOM were analyzed with univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

In total, 124 patients were included in the study. In univariate analysis, the risk factors for fNOM were AAST grade > 3 (fNOM 37.5% vs 9.1%, p = 0.024), and the need of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in the emergency department (ED) (fNOM 42.9% vs 8.9%, p = 0.011). Multivariate analysis showed that the only significant risk factor for fNOM was the need for RBC transfusion in the ED (p = 0.049).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study confirms the contraindication to NOM in case of hemodynamically instability in case of splenic trauma, as indicated by the most recent guidelines; attention should be paid to patients with transient hemodynamic stability, including patients who require transfusion of RBC in the ED. These patients could benefit from AE; in centers where AE, intensive monitoring and an 24-h-operating room are not available, this particular subgroup of patients should probably be treated with operative management.

Non-operative management of blunt hepatic and splenic injuries-practical aspects and value of radiological scoring systems

Background

Non-operative management (NOM) of blunt hepatic and splenic injuries has become popular in haemodynamically stable adult patients, despite uncertainty about efficacy, patient selection, and details of management. Up-to-date strategies and practical recommendations are presented.

Methods

A selective literature search was conducted in PubMed and the Cochrane Library (1989–2016).

Results

No randomized clinical trial was found. Non-randomized controlled trials and large retrospective and prospective series dominate. Few systematic reviews and meta-analyses are available. NOM of selected patients with blunt liver and spleen injuries is associated with low morbidity and mortality. Only data of limited evidence are available on intensity and duration of patient monitoring, repeat imaging, antithrombotic prophylaxis and return to normal activity. There is high-level evidence on early mobilisation and post-splenectomy vaccination.

Conclusion

NOM of blunt liver or spleen injuries is a worldwide trend, but the literature does not provide high-grade evidence for this strategy.

Splenic trauma: WSES classification and guidelines for adult and pediatric patients

Spleen injuries are among the most frequent trauma-related injuries. At present, they are classified according to the anatomy of the injury. The optimal treatment strategy, however, should keep into consideration the hemodynamic status, the anatomic derangement, and the associated injuries. The management of splenic trauma patients aims to restore the homeostasis and the normal physiopathology especially considering the modern tools for bleeding management. Thus, the management of splenic trauma should be ultimately multidisciplinary and based on the physiology of the patient, the anatomy of the injury, and the associated lesions. Lastly, as the management of adults and children must be different, children should always be treated in dedicated pediatric trauma centers. In fact, the vast majority of pediatric patients with blunt splenic trauma can be managed non-operatively. This paper presents the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) classification of splenic trauma and the management guidelines.

Outcome of children with blunt liver or spleen injuries: Experience from a single institution in Korea

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study is to evaluate the demographics, injury pattern, and treatment outcomes among children hospitalized for the management of blunt liver and spleen injury at a single institution in Korea, and to document trends in treatment strategies of children with blunt torso trauma.

METHODS

Children (<20 years) with blunt liver and spleen injuries, hospitalized at our center between May 2010 and February 2016, were included in the present study. Data were retrospectively analyzed for demographic and injury-related information were obtained.

RESULTS

During the study period, 34 patients with blunt liver injury and 21 patients with blunt spleen injury presented at the center. The most common cause of liver and spleen injury was motor vehicle collision, followed by fall. Thirty patients (88.2%) with liver injuries and 18 patients (85.7%) with spleen injuries were managed conservatively. No cases of mortality occurred in patients with spleen injury group; one patient (2.9%) died in patients with liver injury due to uncontrolled bleeding.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data demonstrated that 85.7% of patients with spleen injuries and 88.2% of patients with liver injuries were managed nonoperatively. Operative management was chosen more selectively, being applied in patients with high grade organ injury scores or abrupt changes in vital status. Our findings will contribute to the available data concerning children with traumatic injuries in Korea.

How Does the Severity of Injury Vary between Motorcycle and Automobile Accident Victims Who Sustain High-Grade Blunt Hepatic and/or Splenic Injuries? Results of a Retrospective Analysis

BACKGROUND

High-grade blunt hepatic and/or splenic injuries (BHSI) remain a great challenge for trauma surgeons. The main aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics, mortality rates, and outcomes of high-grade BHSI in motorcyclists and car occupants hospitalized for treatment of traumatic injuries in a Level I trauma center in southern Taiwan.

METHODS

High-grade BHSI are defined as grade III-VI blunt hepatic injuries and grade III-V blunt splenic injuries. This retrospective study reviewed the data of 101 motorcyclists and 32 car occupants who experienced a high-grade BHSI from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013. Two-sided Fisher's exact or Pearson's chi-square tests were used to compare categorical data, unpaired Student's t-test was used to analyze normally distributed continuous data, and Mann-Whitney's U test was used to compare non-normally distributed data.

RESULTS

In this study, the majority (76%, 101/133) of high-grade BHSI were due to motorcycle crashes. Car occupants had a significantly higher injury severity score (ISS; 26.8 ± 10.9 vs. 20.7 ± 10.4, respectively, p = 0.005) and organ injured score (OIS; 3.8 ± 1.0 vs. 3.4 ± 0.6, respectively, p = 0.033), as well as a significantly longer hospital length of stay (LOS; 21.2 days vs. 14.6 days, respectively, p = 0.038) than did motorcyclists. Car occupants with high-grade BHSI also had worse clinical presentations than their motorcyclist counterparts, including a significantly higher incidence of hypotension, hyperpnea, tube thoracostomy, blood transfusion >4 units, LOS in intensive care unit >5 days, and complications. However, there were no differences in the percentage of angiography or laparotomy performed or mortality rate between these two groups of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that car occupants with high-grade BHSI were injured more severely, had a higher incidence of worse clinical presentation, had a longer hospital LOS, and had a higher incidence of complications than motorcyclists. The results also implied that specific attention should be paid to those car occupants with high-grade BHSI, whose critical condition should not be underestimated because of the concept that the patients within in a car are much safer.

Blunt splenic trauma: Assessment, management and outcomes

BACKGROUND

The approach for diagnosis and management of blunt splenic injury (BSI) has been considerably shifted towards non-operative management (NOM). We aimed to review the current practice for the evaluation, diagnosis and management of BSI.

METHODS

A traditional narrative literature review was carried out using PubMed, MEDLINE and Google scholar search engines. We used the keywords "Traumatic Splenic injury", "Blunt splenic trauma", "management" between December 1954 and November 2014.

RESULTS

Most of the current guidelines support the NOM or minimally approaches in hemodynamically stable patients. Improvement in the diagnostic modalities guide the surgeons to decide the timely management pathway Though, there is an increasing shift from operative management (OM) to NOM of BSI; NOM of high grade injury is associated with a greater rate of failure, prolonged hospital stay, risk of delayed hemorrhage and transfusion-associated infections. Some cases with high grade BSI could be successfully treated conservatively, if clinically feasible, while some patients with lower grade injury might end-up with delayed splenic rupture. Therefore, the selection of treatment modalities for BSI should be governed by patient clinical presentation, surgeon's experience in addition to radiographic findings.

CONCLUSION

About one-fourth of the blunt abdominal trauma accounted for BSI. A high index of clinical suspicion along with radiological diagnosis helps to identify and characterize splenic injuries with high accuracy and is useful for timely decision-making to choose between OM or NOM. Careful selection of NOM is associated with high success rate with a lower rate of morbidity and mortality.

Critical care issues in solid organ injury: Review and experience in a tertiary trauma center

Background and Aim:

Solid organ (spleen and liver) injuries are dreaded by both surgeons and anesthesiologists because of associated high morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this review is to describe our experience of critical care concerns in solid organ injury, which otherwise has been poorly addressed in the literature.

Materials and Methods:

Retrospective cohort of solid organ injury (spleen and liver) patients was done from January 2010 to December 2011 in tertiary level trauma Center.

Results:

Out of 624 abdominal trauma patients, a total of 212 patients (70%) were admitted in intensive care unit (ICU). Their ages ranged from 6 to 74 years (median 24 years). Nearly 89% patients in liver trauma and 84% patients in splenic trauma were male. Mechanism of injury was blunt abdominal trauma in 96% patients and the most common associated injury was chest trauma. Average injury severity score, sequential organ failure assessment, lactate on admission was 16.84, 4.34 and 3.42 mmol/L and that of dying patient were 29.70, 7.73 and 5.09 mmol/L, respectively. Overall mortality of ICU admitted solid organ injury was 15.55%. Major issues of concern in splenic injury were hemorrhagic shock, overwhelming post-splenectomy infection and post-splenectomy vaccination. Issues raised in liver injury are damage control surgery, deadly triad, thromboelastography guided transfusion protocols and hemostatic agents. Conclusions: A protocol-based and multidisciplinary approach in high dependency unit can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with solid organ injury.

Selective vascular isolation of the liver as part of initial damage control for grade 5 liver injuries: Shouldn't we use it more frequently?

BACKGROUND

Severe liver trauma (grade 4 and 5) carries mortality greater than 40%. It represents a major surgical challenge in patients with hemodynamic instability who require an immediate exploratory laparotomy. Perihepatic packing and damage control can sometimes work, but for severe liver injuries, adjunct maneuvers might be needed (such as early embolization or hepatic artery ligation). During a patient's first operation for severe liver trauma, anatomic resection is rarely tolerated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We managed a 31 year-old male with a blunt grade 5 right-lobe liver injury in severe hypovolemic shock.

RESULTS

As part of the initial damage control operation, concurrently with intermittent Pringle maneuver, he underwent intra- and perihepatic packing; selective isolation and ligation of the right portal vein, right hepatic artery, and right hepatic vein; and repair of the retrohepatic inferior vena cava. Then, 36h later, the patient underwent a right hepatectomy.

CONCLUSION

For patients with severe liver injuries, selective vascular isolation and ligation may be considered as part of damage control (in addition to intermittent Pringle maneuver) and might enable anatomic resection at a later stage.

Non-operative management attempted for selective high grade blunt hepatosplenic trauma is a feasible strategy

Background

There is growing evidence of clinical data recently for successful outcomes of non-operative management (NOM) for blunt hepatic and spleen injuries (BHSI). However, the effectiveness of NOM for high-grade BHSI remains undefined. The aim of the present study was to review our experience with NOM in high-grade BHSI and compare results with the existing related data worldwide.

Methods

In this retrospectively protocol-driven study, 150 patients with grade 3–5 BHSI were enrolled during a 3-year period. Patients were divided into immediate laparotomy (immediate OP) and initial non-operative (initial NOM) groups according to hemodynamic status judged by duty trauma surgeon. Patients who received initial NOM were divided into successful NOM (s-NOM) and failed NOM (f-NOM) subgroups according to conservative treatment failure. We analyzed the clinical characteristics and the outcomes of patients.

Results

Twenty-eight (18.7%) patients underwent immediate operations, and the remaining 122 (81.3%) were initially treated with NOM. Compared with the initial NOM group, the immediate OP group had significantly lower hemoglobin levels, a higher incidence of tube thoracostomy, contrast extravasation and large hemoperitoneum on computed tomography, a higher injury severity score, increased need for transfusions, and longer length of stay (LOS) in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hospitalization. Further analysis of the initial NOM group indicated that NOM had failed in 6 (4.9%) cases. Compared with the s-NOM subgroup, f-NOM patients had significantly lower hemoglobin levels, more hospitalized transfusions, and longer ICU LOS.

Conclusions

NOM of high-grade BHSI in selected patients is a feasible strategy. Notwithstanding, patients with initial low hemoglobin level and a high number of blood transfusions in the ICU are associated with a high risk for NOM failure.

Return to play after liver and spleen trauma

CONTEXT

Sport-related spleen and liver injuries pose a challenge for the physician. Although rare, these injuries can have serious and even life-threatening outcomes if not accurately diagnosed and managed in a timely fashion. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines on duration and intensity of restricted activity and return to play after spleen and liver injury. In addition, there is controversy on follow-up imaging after injury.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

PubMed was searched using the terms splenic or spleen and trauma and hepatic or liver and trauma from 1980 to 2013. The citations from sentinel papers were also reviewed.

STUDY DESIGN

Clinical review.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 3.

RESULTS

Ultrasound is ideal in the unstable athlete. Nonoperative management of blunt splenic and hepatic injuries is recommended for hemodynamically stable patients regardless of injury grade, patient age, or presence of associated injuries. Follow-up imaging is not routinely recommended unless clinically indicated. Athletes may engage in light activity for the first 3 months after injury and then gradual return to unrestricted activity as tolerated. High-level athletes may choose splenectomy or serial imaging for faster return to play.

CONCLUSION

Intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice in stable athletes with blunt abdominal trauma.

STRENGTH-OF-RECOMMENDATION TAXONOMY

C.

Blunt hepatic trauma: comparison between surgical and nonoperative treatment

OBJECTIVE

To examine the outcomes of blunt hepatic trauma, and compare surgical and non-surgical treatment in patients admitted with hemodynamic stability and with no obvious indications of laparotomy.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of cases admitted to a university teaching hospital between the years 2000 and 2010. Patients undergoing surgical treatment were divided into two groups: (a) all patients undergoing surgical treatment, and (b) patients with obvious need for surgery.

RESULTS

In this period, 120 patients were admitted with blunt hepatic trauma. Sixty five patients (54.1%) were treated non-operatively and fifty five patients were operated upon. Patients treated non-operatively had better physiologic conditions on admission, demonstrated less severe injuries (except the grade of hepatic injury), received less blood components and had lower morbidity and mortality than the patients operated upon. Patients who underwent non-operative treatment had a lower need for blood transfusion but higher rates of complications and mortality than the patients operated upon. Patients who were operated upon, with no obvious indications for surgery, had higher rates of complication and mortality than patients not operated upon.

CONCLUSION

A non-operative approach resulted in lower complications, a lower need for blood transfusions and lower mortality.

Nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injury: an Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma practice management guideline

BACKGROUND

During the last century, the management of blunt force trauma to the liver has changed from observation and expectant management in the early part of the 1900s to mainly operative intervention, to the current practice of selective operative and nonoperative management. These issues were first addressed by the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma in the Practice Management Guidelines for Nonoperative Management of Blunt Injury to the Liver and Spleen published online in 2003. Since that time, a large volume of literature on these topics has been published requiring a reevaluation of the previous Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma guideline.

METHODS

The National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health MEDLINE database were searched using PubMed (http://www.pubmed.gov). The search was designed to identify English-language citations published after 1996 (the last year included in the previous guideline) using the keywords liver injury and blunt abdominal trauma.

RESULTS

One hundred seventy-six articles were reviewed, of which 94 were used to create the current practice management guideline for the selective nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injury.

CONCLUSION

Most original hepatic guidelines remained valid and were incorporated into the greatly expanded current guidelines as appropriate. Nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injuries currently is the treatment modality of choice in hemodynamically stable patients, irrespective of the grade of injury or patient age. Nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injuries should only be considered in an environment that provides capabilities for monitoring, serial clinical evaluations, and an operating room available for urgent laparotomy. Patients presenting with hemodynamic instability and peritonitis still warrant emergent operative intervention. Intravenous contrast enhanced computed tomographic scan is the diagnostic modality of choice for evaluating blunt hepatic injuries. Repeated imaging should be guided by a patient's clinical status. Adjunctive therapies like angiography, percutaneous drainage, endoscopy/endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and laparoscopy remain important adjuncts to nonoperative management of hepatic injuries. Despite the explosion of literature on this topic, many questions regarding nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injuries remain without conclusive answers in the literature.

Splenic injuries: factors affecting the outcome of non-operative management

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of non-operative management (NOM) in patients with splenic injuries and to determine the predictive factors of NOM failure.

METHODS

Two hundred and six patients with splenic injury were admitted between January 2005 and April 2011. Of the 206 patients with splenic injury, 47 patients met the inclusion criteria of NOM. The mechanism of injury, grade of splenic injury, other intra- and extra-abdominal injuries, systolic blood pressure on admission, hemoglobin levels, number of transfusions, Injury Severity Score (ISS), Glasgow Coma Scale score, and hospitalization period were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups: those with NOM and those in whom the failure of NOM led to laparotomy. The patients were monitored for vital signs, abdominal findings, and laboratory data. NOM was abandoned in cases of hemodynamic instability, ongoing bleeding, or development of peritonitis. Independent predictive factors of NOM failure were identified. The patients managed non-operatively were compared with the patients for whom NOM failed.

RESULTS

NOM was successful in 40 of 47 patients. There were differences between the two groups for ISS, hemoglobin levels, need for blood transfusion, and the number of associated extra-abdominal injuries. The grade of splenic injury was determined to be an important and significant independent predictive factor for the success of NOM of splenic injuries.

CONCLUSIONS

The grade of splenic injury is an important and significant independent predictor factor for the success of NOM. NOM is not recommended in patients with high-grade splenic injury.

Efficacy and safety of non-operative management of blunt liver trauma

BACKGROUND

The liver is the most frequently affected organ during blunt abdominal trauma. Blunt liver trauma management has changed in the last two decades with the introduction of the computed tomography (CT) scan and non-operative management of stable patients.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence, efficacy, and failure rate of blunt liver trauma non-operative management as well as the risk factors associated with such treatment in a level 1 trauma center in Colombia.

METHODS

We conducted an observational descriptive study on patients with blunt liver trauma who were admitted to a level 1 trauma center in Colombia. The evaluated outcomes were indications of immediate surgical treatment and the success of non-operative management.

RESULTS

A total of 73 patients were studied. The most common mechanism of trauma continues to be motor vehicle crashes. In 14 patients (19.2%), immediate surgical intervention was necessary and we observed a Revised Trauma Score (RTS) above 7.8 and intra-abdominal injuries as risk factors. Three patients died (21.4%). Fifty-nine patients (80.8%) received non-operative management, which failed in seven patients (11.2%). Age, severity of liver injury, and intra-abdominal injuries were not risk factors in the failure of non-operative management. Mortality in the non-operative management group was 1.7%.

CONCLUSION

Non-operative management is the treatment of choice for polytraumatized patients with blunt liver trauma who are hemodynamically stable. Non-operative management is an effective and safe treatment strategy. However, patients with an RTS score under 7.8 and other intra-abdominal non-liver injuries are at increased risk for an immediate surgical intervention.

Tomographic findings are not always predictive of failed nonoperative management in blunt hepatic injury

BACKGROUND

Nonoperative management (NOM) has become the standard treatment of blunt hepatic injury (BHI) for stable patients. Contrast extravasation (CE) on computed tomography (CT) scan had been reported as a sign that is associated with NOM failure. The goal of this study was to further investigate the risk factors of NOM failure in patients with CE on CT scan.

METHODS

From January 2005 to September 2009, patients with CE noted on a CT scan as a result of BHI were studied retrospectively. Physiological parameters, severity of injury, amount of transfusion, type of contrast extravasation, as well as treatment outcome were compared between patients with NOM failure and NOM success.

RESULTS

A total of 130 patients were enrolled. Injury severity scores, amount of blood transfusion before hemostatic procedure, and grade of liver injury were significantly higher in NOM failure than in NOM success patients. There was no statistical difference in the NOM success rate between patients with contrast leakage into the peritoneum and those with contrast confined in the hepatic parenchyma.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher injury severity score, more blood transfusion, and higher grade of liver injury are factors that correlate with NOM failure in patients with BHI. Contrast leakage into the peritoneum is not always a definite sign of NOM failure in BHI. Early and aggressive angioembolization is an effective adjunct of NOM in BHI patients, even with contrast leakage into peritoneum.

Splenic injury: management in the Languedoc-Roussillon region

GOAL OF STUDY

Treatment of splenic injury is not standardized. We conducted an inventory of splenic injury treatment modalities of splenic injury in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France.

METHODS

A questionnaire was sent by e-mail to 33 surgeons practicing in 10 hospitals in that region. Surgeons were asked: how many cases were treated per year (PMSI databank for the last three years), local resources (resuscitation bay or intensive care unit, availability of CT and interventional radiology), indications (surgery, embolization, nonoperative management [NOM]), prognostic criteria, NOM modalities (duration of bed rest, hospital stay, restriction of physical activity, thromboembolic prophylaxis, and imaging schedule).

RESULTS

Thirty-one surgeons replied. An average of 185 patients were treated per year. There was consensus concerning the indication for urgent splenectomy, NOM was practiced in the stable patient (even with diffuse hemoperitoneum) and splenic artery embolization was performed for active bleeding (blush on CT) (for the six centers who have interventional radiology at their disposal). Disparities existed between centers concerning the modalities of NOM excepting imaging monitoring, initial surveillance in resuscitation bay or intensive care and in the therapeutic indications when bleeding persisted.

CONCLUSION

Based on the consensus observed in this study and an analysis of the literature, a uniform treatment policy can be proposed.

Blunt solid organ injury: do adult and pediatric surgeons treat children differently?

BACKGROUND

The management of blunt solid organ injury (SOI) in children may differ depending on the treating facility. These differences, however, may not reflect the individual surgeon's treatment philosophy. To investigate differences in management, adult and pediatric surgeons were presented the same hypothetical pediatric trauma "patient" and asked a series of treatment questions.

METHODS

By using an internet-based survey, members of American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Eastern Association of the Surgery of Trauma were invited to participate anonymously. Surgeons who "never or rarely saw children" and those who "would transfer the patient to another facility" were excluded. Demographic, educational, and practice data were collected. Scenarios of increasing complexity were presented with CT images (isolated SOI, multiple SOI, and SOI with intracranial hemorrhage [ICH]). For each scenario, respondents were asked if they would initially manage the patient nonoperatively, pursue angiography, or operate. Scenarios were repeated with the addition of a CT "blush." For patients managed nonoperatively, respondents were asked their transfusion threshold needed to operate. Responses were compared using exact chi tests and risk ratios.

RESULTS

Two hundred eighty-one surgeons (114 pediatric, 167 adult) were included. For all scenarios, adult surgeons were more likely to operate or pursue embolization than their pediatric colleagues (RR: 8.6 SOI, 14.8 multiple SOI, 17.9 SOI with ICH). Adult surgeons were also more likely to consider any transfusion a failure (13.3% vs. 1.2%, p < 0.01) and had a much lower transfusion threshold.

CONCLUSION

When presented with the identical clinical scenario, adult trauma surgeons are less likely than pediatric surgeons to pursue nonoperative management of pediatric solid organ injuries and are more conservative in their willingness to transfuse.

Injuries to the Spleen

BACKGROUND

Intra-abdominal organs, most commonly the spleen and liver, are injured in 40-50% of polytraumatized patients. Because of its important immunological functions, preservation of the injured spleen is of paramount importance.

METHODS

There are both conservative and surgical approaches to preservation of the spleen in trauma cases. Of the techniques available for this purpose, tissue adhesives, coagulation, partial resection, and mesh splenorrhapy are the most suitable.

RESULTS

Nonoperative management is a worthwhile option in hemodynamically stable patients. The decisive factor for successful conservative management is the degree of injury. We find that the manner in which heparin is administered plays an important role. Tissue adhesives are commonly used with good success with superficial lacerations. Coagulation techniques are also suitable for organ conservation with grade I and II injuries. Splenorraphy with resorbablemesh is the method of choice with the deep lacerations as it permits rapid and permanenthemostasis. If an injury only involves one pole or one half of the spleen, resection of that part of the organ is an option. Partial resection with a stapler is advisable for speed and effectiveness. Total fragmentation or separation of the hilus is treated with an immediate splenectomy, saving the tail of the pancreas.

CONCLUSION

In trauma cases, every attempt should be made to save the spleen. If splenectomy cannot be avoided, the splenectomized patient should be immunized against pneumococcus and be informed of his/ her resultant immune deficiency.

[Current treatment of hepatic trauma]

The therapeutic and diagnostic approach of liver trauma injuries (by extension, of abdominal trauma) has evolved remarkably in the last decades. The current non-surgical treatment in the vast majority of liver injuries is supported by the accumulated experience and optimal results in the current series. It is considered that the non-surgical treatment of liver injuries has a current rate of success of 83-100%, with an associated morbidity of 5-42%. The haemodynamic stability of the patient will determine the applicability of the non-surgical treatment. Arteriography with angioembolisation constitutes a key technical tool in the context of liver trauma. Patients with haemodynamic instability will need an urgent operation and can benefit from abdominal packing techniques, damage control and post-operative arteriography. The present review attempts to contribute to the current, global and practical management in the care of liver trauma.

Nonoperative treatment of multiple intra-abdominal solid organ injury after blunt abdominal trauma

BACKGROUND

A number of large series' have attempted to examine the management of blunt solid organ injuries; however, only a few studies regarding multiple injuries exist. The aim of this study is to analyze whether multiple solid organ injury affects nonoperative management (NOM) and to look for predictive factors of NOM.

METHODS

All patients admitted with a diagnosis of blunt solid organ injury between January 1, 1999 and January 1, 2005 were included in this prospective observational study. Of the 468 patients who had solid organ injury, 46 patients met the inclusion criteria of multiple solid organ injuries. Presentation, mechanism of injury, injury grade, Abbreviated Injury Scale score, management, and outcomes were analyzed. Independent predictive factors of NOM failure were identified. Patients managed nonoperatively were compared with patients who had had emergent laparotomy and patients for whom NOM failed.

RESULTS

Fifteen patients (33%) underwent emergency laparotomy because of hypovolemic shock that was unresponsive to aggressive resuscitation, and 31 (66%) were selected for NOM. Among the 31 patients, NOM was successful in 23 (75%). No specific organ injury combination was found to affect NOM failure. Admission lactate level [odds ratio(OR), 1.44; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.05-1.98; p = 0.025], a drop in the hematocrit greater than 20% in the first hour after admission (OR, 1.13; 95% confidence interval CI, 1.04-1.24; p = 0.007), and solid viscus score (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.03-2.80; p = 0.04) were significant independent risk factors in those patients for whom NOM failed. In logistic regression analysis, hypotension at admission (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.92-0.99; p = 0.014) and transfusion in the first 6 hours after admission (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.00-1.05; p = 0.015) were found to significantly affect the success rate of nonoperative management.

CONCLUSION

Lactate levels at admission, solid viscus score, necessity of transfusion, crystalloid resuscitation, and a drop in the hematocrit in the first hour after admission are useful parameters for judging the failure of NOM. Although there is a higher failure rate of NOM in multiple solid organ injury, NOM can still be considered in these cases with extra caution.

CT manifestations of adrenal trauma: experience with 73 cases

Adrenal injuries, although an uncommon consequence of abdominal trauma, are important to recognize. If bilateral, adrenal trauma could result in life-threatening adrenal insufficiency. Furthermore, in the setting of trauma, adrenal injury can point to other concomitant injuries and has been associated with overall increased morbidity and mortality. In the past, before the advent of computed tomography (CT), detection was difficult, and the diagnosis was often made only at surgery or postmortem. Today, the diagnosis of adrenal injuries can be quickly and accurately made with CT. This retrospective review was carried out to identify, describe, and analyze different CT appearances of adrenal injuries and correlated with associated injuries and observed clinical context and outcomes. A patient cohort of CT-detected adrenal injuries was identified through a radiology software research tool by searching for keywords in radiology reports. The identified CT scans were reviewed and correlated with the patients' available clinical chart data and follow-up. Between April 1995 and October 2004, 73 cases of CT-detected adrenal injuries were identified, including 48 men and 25 women, with an age range 6 to 90 years and a mean age of 42.7 years. Of the cases, 77% were right-sided, 15% were left-sided, and 8% were bilateral. The causes of injuries were motor vehicle collisions (75%), falls (14%), sports related (4%), and miscellaneous causes (7%). Associated trauma included injuries of the liver (43%), spleen (23%), lung (19%), and kidney (18%), as well as pneumothoraces/hemothoraces (22%). Skeletal injuries included fractures of the ribs, clavicles, and/or scapulae (39%), pelvis and hips (30%), and the spine (23%). Isolated adrenal trauma was seen in only 4% of the cases. The CT findings of adrenal trauma were focal hematoma (30%), indistinct (27%) or enlarged (18%) adrenal gland, gross (15%) or focal (7%) adrenal hemorrhage, and adrenal mass (11%). Associated CT findings included periadrenal fat stranding (93%), retroperitoneal hemorrhage (22%), and thickened diaphragmatic crura (10%). Active adrenal bleeding was seen in one case (1.4%). The incidence of adrenal trauma was estimated to be 0.86%. Surgical management was required only for the associated injuries. The most common CT manifestations of adrenal trauma include focal hematoma, indistinct or ill-defined adrenal gland, adrenal enlargement or mass, and gross or focal adrenal hemorrhage in a normal-sized gland. Periadrenal stranding is very common. Retroperitoneal hemorrhage and crural thickening are also important associated findings. Operative intervention is typically required only for the associated injuries, which commonly accompany adrenal trauma.

Nonoperative management of spleen and liver injuries

The spleen and liver are the 2 most commonly injured abdominal organs following trauma. Trends in management have changed over the years, and the majority of these injuries are now managed nonoperatively. Splenic injuries can be managed via simple observation or with angiography and embolization. Recent data suggest that there are few true contraindications in the setting of hemodynamic stability. Success rate of nonoperative management may be as high as 95%. Liver injuries can be approached similarly. In the setting of a hemodynamically stable patient, observation with or without angiography and embolization may similarly be used. As many as 80% of patients with liver injury can be successfully managed without laparotomy. This review will discuss current concepts in nonoperative management of liver and spleen, including diagnosis, patient selection, nonoperative management strategies, benefits, risks, and complications.

Current advances in the surgical approach to abdominal trauma

The management of abdominal injury has changed dramatically during the past two decades. This review examines the historic perspectives and recent developments of diagnosis and treatment of liver injuries, splenic injuries, and pancreatic injuries. The incorporation of non-operative management for liver injuries has had a very positive effect on mortality. Likewise, splenic conservative therapy is routinely used. The early treatment of pancreatic injury has changed very little; however, the ability to recognize these difficult injuries has improved with higher quality CT scanning. The authors present their preferred treatment for these three common types of abdominal solid organ injury and present an illustrative case example.

Self-inflicted splenic injury in snowboarders: postural analysis of forward falls of 10 consecutive patients

Splenic injuries are often caused when snowboarders thrust their abdomens with their own left elbows after falling and hitting the ground. We report 10 snowboarders who suffered a splenic injury by accidentally thrusting their own elbow against their abdomen upon falling to the ground. Clinical presentation, postural analysis, and treatment are described. In an attempt to break the force while falling, snowboarders assumed 1 of 2 defensive postures that subsequently induced splenic injury: falling with an outstretched hand or falling with folded arms placed closely to the chest, that is, the fetal tuck posture. Snowboarders who fell in the outstretched hand posture developed more severe symptoms than those who fell in the fetal tuck posture. Herein, we discuss the mechanisms of such snowboarding-related splenic injury in detail and provide a review of the literature.

Classification of liver and pancreatic trauma

The liver is the most frequently injured intra-abdominal organ and associated injury to other organs increases the risk of complications and death. This has highlighted the critical need for an accurate classification system as a basis for the clinical decision-making process. Several classification systems have been proposed in an attempt to incorporate the aetiology, anatomy and extent of injury and correlate it with subsequent clinical management and outcome. The widely accepted Organ Injury Scale is based on anatomical criteria that quantify the disruption of the liver parenchyma and defines six groups which may influence management strategies and relate to outcome. The less common pancreatic injury remains a major source of morbidity and mortality due to the likelihood of associated solid or hollow-organ injuries. The implication of a delay in diagnosis and management emphasizes the need for an accurate classification system. The Organ Injury Scale is widely used for pancreas trauma and recognizes the importance of progressive parenchymal injury and in particular ductal injury. Advances in imaging techniques have led to the development of newer radiological classification systems; however, validation of their accuracy remains to be proven. An accurate classification of liver and pancreatic trauma is fundamental for the development of treatment protocols in which clinical decisions are based on the severity of injury.

Assessment of Nonoperative Management of Blunt Spleen and Liver Trauma

An 8-year analysis of nonoperative management (NOM) of spleen and liver trauma was done in a level 1 trauma center. Spleen and liver trauma was diagnosed in 279 patients: 93 children (<18), 137 younger adults (18–54), and 49 older adults (≥ 55). Nineteen patients who failed resuscitations died within 0–60 minutes of arrival and were excluded from treatment analysis. Operative management (OM) was done in 39 (15%) and NOM in 221 (85%) patients with failure (NOMF) in 11 (5%). NOM and NOMF was 82 per cent and 5.6 per cent in spleen, 74 per cent and 14.3 per cent in combined spleen/liver, and 96 per cent and 1.5 per cent in liver trauma ( P value <0.001). NOM was done in 99 per cent of children, 81 per cent of younger adults, and 68 per cent of older adults with 0 per cent, 8 per cent, and 10 per cent NOMF. Higher grades of splenic trauma and CT fluid had higher OM rate. NOM success rates were 93.8 per cent in grade 3 and 90.3 per cent in higher grades of spleen trauma. There was no NOMF in higher grades of liver trauma. CT fluid grade had no impact on NOMF. Female patients had higher mean injury severity score, age, and mortality compared to cohorts. NOM should be attempted in hemodynamically stable patients. Age over 55, higher grades of injury, and large hemoperitoneum were not predictors of failure of NOM.

Blood transfusion is an independent predictor of increased mortality in nonoperatively managed blunt hepatic and splenic injuries

BACKGROUND

Management strategies for blunt solid viscus injuries often include blood transfusion. However, transfusion has previously been identified as an independent predictor of mortality in unselected trauma admissions. We hypothesized that transfusion would adversely affect mortality and outcome in patients presenting with blunt hepatic and splenic injuries after controlling for injury severity and degree of shock.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed records from all adults with blunt hepatic and/or splenic injuries admitted to a Level I trauma center over a 4-year period. Demographics, physiologic variables, injury severity, and amount of blood transfused were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analysis with logistic and linear regression were used to identify predictors of mortality and outcome.

RESULTS

One hundred forty-three (45%) of 316 patients presenting with blunt hepatic and/or splenic injuries received blood transfusion within the first 24 hours. Two hundred thirty patients (72.8%) were selected for nonoperative management, of whom 75 (33%) required transfusion in the first 24 hours. Transfusion was an independent predictor of mortality in all patients (odds ratio [OR], 4.75; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.37-16.4; p = 0.014) and in those managed nonoperatively (OR, 8.45; 95% CI, 1.95-36.53; p = 0.0043) after controlling for indices of shock and injury severity. The risk of death increased with each unit of packed red blood cells transfused (OR per unit, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.10-1.24; p < 0.0001). Blood transfusion was also an independent predictor of increased hospital length of stay (coefficient, 5.45; 95% CI, 1.64-9.25; p = 0.005).

CONCLUSION

Blood transfusion is a strong independent predictor of mortality and hospital length of stay in patients with blunt liver and spleen injuries after controlling for indices of shock and injury severity. Transfusion-associated mortality risk was highest in the subset of patients managed nonoperatively. Prospective examination of transfusion practices in treatment algorithms of blunt hepatic and splenic injuries is warranted.