Concomitant injuries are an important determinant of outcome of high-grade blunt hepatic trauma

Schnüriger, B; Inderbitzin, D; Schafer, M; Kickuth, R; Exadaktylos, A; Candinas, D (2009). Concomitant injuries are an important determinant of outcome of high-grade blunt hepatic trauma. British journal of surgery, 96(1), pp. 104-10. Bristol, UK: John Wright & Sons

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BACKGROUND: Little is known about the clinical importance of concomitant injuries in polytraumatized patients with high-grade blunt liver injury. A retrospective single-centre study was performed to investigate the safety of non-operative management of liver injury and the impact of concomitant intra- and extra-abdominal injuries on clinical outcome. METHODS: Some 183 patients with blunt liver injury were admitted to Berne University Hospital, Switzerland, between January 2000 and December 2006. Grade 3-5 injuries were considered to be high grade. RESULTS: Immediate laparotomy was required by 35 patients (19.1 per cent), owing to extrahepatic intra-abdominal injury (splenic and vascular injuries, perforations) in 21 cases. The mortality rate was 16.9 per cent; 22 of the 31 deaths were due to concomitant lesions. Of 81 patients with high-grade liver injury, 63 (78 per cent) were managed without surgery; liver-related and extra-abdominal complication rates in these patients were 11 and 17 per cent respectively. Grades 4 and 5 liver injury were associated with hepatic-related and extra-abdominal complications. CONCLUSION: Concomitant injuries are a major determinant of outcome in patients with blunt hepatic injury and should be given high priority by trauma surgeons. An algorithm for the management of blunt liver injury is proposed.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gastro-intestinal, Liver and Lung Disorders (DMLL) > Clinic of Visceral Surgery and Medicine > Visceral Surgery 04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Intensive Care, Emergency Medicine and Anaesthesiology (DINA) > University Emergency Center
UniBE Contributor:	Inderbitzin, Daniel, Exadaktylos, Aristomenis, Candinas, Daniel
ISSN:	0007-1323
Publisher:	John Wright & Sons
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:13
Last Modified:	02 Mar 2023 23:23
PubMed ID:	19109805
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/32302 (FactScience: 197361)