Challenges in management of blunt abdominal trauma: a prospective study

Abstract

Background: Trauma meets the pandemic criteria, with a daily worldwide mortality as high as 16000. Abdominal trauma remains a leading cause of mortality in all age groups. Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) mainly results from motor vehicle accident, fall from height and assaults. The commonest organ injured is the spleen, followed by the liver and small bowel. Lately, the management of BAT has changed from operative to non-operative management. This study was done to analyse the incidence, patterns, current management practiced, and challenges encountered in BAT treated operatively.Methods: This Prospective study was conducted in tertiary care centre in Bangalore during August 2015 to December 2017. 475 patients with blunt abdominal injuries who reported to emergency department were selected for the study based on following inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results: A total of 475 cases of BAT were assessed with a mean age of males and females was 32.6 and 28.3year respectively. Most patients (65%) were between 21 to 30 years of life. Most common mode of injury was motor vehicle accident (57.68%), 60% patients presented to hospital within the initial 4 hours. Abdominal CT had highest accuracy. Most common solid organ injury being spleen (26.5%). 80.84% patients were selected for SNOM and 15.62% had Failed SNOM. 28.48% patients had complications with most common complication wound infection followed by aspiration pneumonia and 7 patients had mortality.Conclusions: Initial resuscitation with thorough clinical examination with correct usage of imaging modalities with timely and proper decision making is the key of management of patients with BAT and there is a need to identify newer imaging modality/procedure which helps to determine better management scheme in all blunt trauma patients.