Blunt Abdominal Trauma Requiring Laparotomy: an Analysis of 342 Polytraumatized Patients

Abstract

Introduction:

Hemorrhage due to abdominal trauma is one of the most frequent causes of early mortality in polytraumatized patients. Therefore, the initial management of abdominal trauma is an important factor in determining the outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical course in multiple trauma patients who sustained abdominal trauma requiring operative intervention.

Patients and Methods:

In this retrospective analysis, a database containing prospectively collected data on polytraumatized patients from a European level I trauma center was used. The following inclusion criteria were applied: (1) operative intervention for blunt abdominal injuries with positive intraoperative findings, (2) injury severity score (ISS) > 18, and (3) age 16–65 years.

Results:

The inclusion criteria were met by 342 patients (229 male and 113 female patients, mean ISS 39.9±8.9). The most frequently observed intra-abdominal injuries were to the spleen (62.1%) and the liver (47.7%). The most common extra-abdominal injury observed in combination with abdominal trauma was trauma to the chest (71.9%). One hundred forty-three patients (41%) died during their hospital stay. The most frequent reasons for death were hemorrhagic shock (26.7%), ARDS (27.6%) and head trauma (23.2%). The severity of liver injury correlated positively with mortality. In contrast, no correlation between splenic injuries and mortality was observed. Significantly more deaths were attributed to primarily extra-abdominal injuries (111 patients, 77.6%) and then to intra-abdominal injuries (12 patients, 8.4%). In 20 patients (14%), a combination of intra- and extra-abdominal injuries caused posttraumatic death.

Conclusion:

Mortality was significantly higher for extra-abdominal injuries and their associated complications compared to intra-abdominal injuries. These findings should be considered in the development of treatment algorithms for blunt trauma.