Outcome After Conservative and Surgical Treatment of Splenic Injuries After Blunt Abdominal Trauma. Retrospective Study 2002-2008.
Outcome After Conservative and Surgical Treatment of Splenic Injuries After Blunt Abdominal Trauma. Retrospective Study 2002-2008.
Retrospective study in order to investigate the outcome after conservative (with or without transcatheter arterial embolization) and surgical treatment of splenic injuries.
Background
Splenic injuries after blunt abdominal trauma are treated with increasing frequency without operation. Patients undergo observation and bed rest. In certain circumstances an additional transcatheter arterial embolization is performed. It is uncertain which splenic ruptures (injury grades according to Moore) are best treated non-operatively and which are best treated with an emergency operation. Furthermore the value of organ-preserving surgery (splenorrhaphy) is uncertain. In addition, the importance of transcatheter arterial embolisation is unknown.
Objective
Evaluation of outcome (splenic salvage rate, complications, survival) after conservative and surgical treatment. Evaluation of the importance of organ-preserving surgery and of transcatheter arterial embolization.
Methods
All adult patients with splenic injuries after blunt abdominal trauma are included (2002-2008). The patients charts are studied and the following main information retrieved: age, gender, mechanism of accident, grade of splenic injury, concomitant injuries, patient management in the emergency department (fluid administration etc.), diagnostic methods (ultrasound, computed tomography), treatment modalities (bed rest, surgery, embolization), complications of treatment, re-operations, long-term outcome.
Inclusion Criteria: