Incidence, morbidity, and mortality of traumatic superior mesenteric artery injuries compared to other visceral arteries.

Abstract

ObjectivesCeliac artery, superior mesenteric artery, and inferior mesenteric artery injuries are often grouped together as major visceral artery injuries with an incidence of <1%. The mortality rates range from 38–75% for celiac artery injuries and 25–68% for superior mesenteric artery injuries. No large series have investigated the mortality rate of inferior mesenteric artery injuries. We hypothesize that from all the major visceral artery injuries, superior mesenteric artery injury leads to the highest risk of mortality in adult trauma patients.MethodsThe Trauma Quality Improvement Program (2010–2016) was queried for patients with injury to the celiac artery, superior mesenteric artery, or inferior mesenteric artery. A multivariable logistic regression model was used for analysis. Separate subset analyses using blunt trauma patients and penetrating trauma patients were performed.ResultsFrom 1,403,466 patients, 1730 had single visceral artery injuries with 699 (40.4%) involving the celiac artery, 889 (51.4%) involving the superior mesenteric artery, and 142 (8.2%) involving the inferior mesenteric artery. The majority of patients were male (79.2%) with a median age of 39 years old, and median injury severity score of 22. Compared to celiac artery and inferior mesenteric artery injuries, superior mesenteric artery injuries had a higher rate of severe (grade >3) abbreviated injury scale for the abdomen (57.5% vs. 42.5%, p < 0.001). The overall mortality for patients with a single visceral artery injury was 20%. Patients with superior mesenteric artery injury had higher mortality compared to those with celiac artery and inferior mesenteric artery injuries (23.7% vs. 16.3%, p < 0.001). After controlling for covariates, traumatic superior mesenteric artery injury increased risk of mortality (OR = 1.72, CI = 1.24–2.37, p < 0.01) in adult trauma patients, while celiac artery ( p = 0.59) and inferior mesenteric artery ( p = 0.31) injury did not. After stratifying by mechanism, superior mesenteric artery injury increased risk of mortality (OR = 3.65, CI = 2.01–6.45, p < 0.001) in adult trauma patients with penetrating mechanism of injury but not in those with blunt force mechanism (OR = 1.22, CI = 0.81–1.85, p = 0.34).ConclusionsCompared to injuries of the celiac artery and inferior mesenteric artery, traumatic superior mesenteric artery injury is associated with a higher mortality. Moreover, while superior mesenteric artery injury does not act as an independent risk factor for mortality in adult patients with blunt force trauma, it nearly quadruples the risk of mortality in adult trauma patients with penetrating mechanism of injury. Future prospective research is needed to confirm these findings and evaluate factors to improve survival following major visceral artery injury.