Healing of Blunt Liver Injury After Non-Operative Management: Role of Ultrasonography Follow-Up

The liver is one of the most commonly injured solid organs in blunt abdominal trauma. Non-operative management is considered to be the gold standard for the care of most blunt liver injuries. Angioembolization has emerged as an important adjunct that is vital to the success of the non-operative management strategy for blunt hepatic injuries. This procedure, however, is fraught with some possible serious complications. The success, as well as rate of complications of this procedure, is determined by degree and type of injury, hepatic anatomy and physiology, and embolization strategy among other factors. In this review, we discuss these important considerations to help shed further light on the contribution and impact of angioembolization with regards to complex hepatic injuries.

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Importance of a Follow-Up Ultrasound Protocol in Monitoring Posttraumatic Spleen Complications in Children Treated with a Non-Operative Management

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina57080734 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 57 (8) ◽

pp. 734

Author(s):

Ivona Djordjevic ◽

Dragoljub Zivanovic ◽

Ivana Budic ◽

Ana Kostic ◽

Danijela Djeric

Keyword(s):

Splenic Abscess ◽

Operative Management ◽

High Energy ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Injury Grade ◽

Grade Ii ◽

The Mean ◽

Non Operative Management ◽

Grade Iii

Background and objectives: For the last three decades, non-operative management (NOM) has been the standard in the treatment of clinically stable patients with blunt spleen injury, with a success rate of up to 95%. However, there are no prospective issues in the literature dealing with the incidence and type of splenic complications after NOM. Materials and methods: This study analyzed 76 pediatric patients, up to the age of 18, with blunt splenic injury who were treated non-operatively. All patients were included in a posttraumatic follow-up protocol with ultrasound examinations 4 and 12 weeks after injury. Results: The mean age of the children was 9.58 ± 3.97 years (range 1.98 to 17.75 years), with no statistically significant difference between the genders. The severity of the injury was determined according to the American Association for Surgery of Trauma (AAST) classification: 7 patients had grade I injuries (89.21%), 21 patients had grade II injuries (27.63%), 33 patients had grade III injuries (43.42%), and 15 patients had grade IV injuries (19.73%). The majority of the injuries were so-called high-energy ones, which were recorded in 45 patients (59.21%). According to a previously created posttraumatic follow-up protocol, complications were detected in 16 patients (21.05%). Hematomas had the highest incidence and were detected in 11 patients (14.47%), while pseudocysts were detected in 3 (3.94%), and a splenic abscess and pseudoaneurysm were detected in 1 patient (1.31%), respectively. The complications were in a direct correlation with injury grade: seven occurred in patients with grade IV injuries (9.21%), five occurred in children with grade III injuries (6.57%), three occurred in patients with grade II injuries (3.94%), and one occurred in a patient with a grade I injury (1.31%). Conclusion: Based on the severity of the spleen injury, it is difficult to predict the further course of developing complications, but complications are more common in high-grade injuries. The implementation of a follow-up ultrasound protocol is mandatory in all patients with NOM of spleen injuries for the early detection of potentially dangerous and fatal complications.

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Traumatic Liver Injury in Hong Kong: The Management Strategy and Outcome

Hong Kong Journal of Emergency Medicine ◽

10.1177/102490790901600403 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 208-216 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

CN Chong ◽

YS Cheung ◽

KF Lee ◽

TH Rainer ◽

BSP Lai

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Liver Injury ◽

Hospital Stay ◽

Injury Severity ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Demographic Data ◽

Operative Management ◽

Concomitant Injuries ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Non Operative Management

Introduction Management of liver injury is challenging and evolving. The aim of this article is to review the outcome of traumatic liver injury in Chinese people in Hong Kong. Materials & methods Records of 40 patients with hepatic injury who received treatment at the Prince of Wales Hospital between December 2000 and May 2005 were reviewed. Demographic data, severity of liver injury, Injury Severity Score (ISS), haemodynamic status and Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score on admission, investigations made, concomitant injuries, management scheme, and outcome of patients were analysed. Results There were 23 male and 17 female patients with a mean age of 31.3 (SD=15.4) years. Road traffic accident was the most common injury mechanism (65%). Half of the patients were treated by non-operative management (NOM). None of them required surgery during subsequent management. Patients in the operative management (OM) group had a significantly higher ISS (p=0.026), but there was no significant difference in the mortality rate between the OM and NOM groups. Patients with stable haemodynamic status and who were treated non-operatively had a significantly shorter hospital stay (p=0.006). High grade liver injury (OR=8.0, 95% CI=1.2 to 53.8, p=0.03) and ISS greater than 25 (OR=21.6, 95% CI=2.0 to 225.3, p=0.01) were independent risk factors for mortality on multivariate analysis. Conclusions Non-operative management of liver injury can be safely accomplished in haemodynamically stable patients, with the possible benefit of a shorter hospital stay.

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Selective non-operative management of anterior abdominal stab wounds with emphasis on the value of follow-up abdominal CT scanning

Trauma ◽

10.1177/1460408617706389 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 20 (3) ◽

pp. 194-202

Author(s):

El Yamani Fouda ◽

Alaa Magdy ◽

Sameh Hany Emile

Keyword(s):

Ct Scan ◽

Ct Scanning ◽

Operative Management ◽

Abdominal Ct ◽

Management Group ◽

Abdominal Ct Scan ◽

Laparotomy Group ◽

Abdominal Stab Wounds ◽

Non Operative Management

Background and aim Selective non-operative management of patients with penetrating abdominal stabs is the preferred treatment strategy. The present study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of non-operative management with emphasis on the value of follow-up abdominal CT scanning in management of patients with penetrating anterior abdominal stab. Patients and methods This is a retrospective chart review of stable patients with anterior abdominal stab wounds. Patients were divided in terms of initial decisions into two groups: laparotomy group and non-operative management group. Abdominal CT scan was performed for patients in the non-operative management group on admission and follow-up CT scanning was performed in cases of clinical and/or biochemical deterioration. Results The laparotomy group included 82 patients and 68.2% of them had unnecessary laparotomies. The non-operative management group comprised 97 patients and 90.7% of them did not require subsequent laparotomy. Abdominal CT scan had a sensitivity of 88.9% and specificity of 100% in detection of intra-abdominal injuries. Follow-up CT scanning detected bowel injuries missed by initial CT scan in three patients. The non-operative management group had significantly lower post-operative complication rate than the laparotomy group (4.1% vs. 18.3%), with a significantly shorter length of stay. Conclusions Non-operative management is the optimal management strategy for stable patients with penetrating anterior abdominal stab to decrease unnecessary laparotomy rates, hospital stay and costs. Follow-up abdominal CT scanning facilitated the decision making for patients selected for non-operative management and is highly sensitive in the diagnosis of patients who require subsequent exploration.

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