Role of Elevated Liver Enzymes in the Diagnosis of Liver Injury in Bluntabdominal Trauma

Abstract

The liver is the second most commonly injured organ following blunt abdominal trauma. The stable patient with minimal physical findings with a history of blunt abdominal trauma presents a challenge for diagnosis of liver injury. This study was conducted to determine the usefulness of hepatic transaminases in predicting the presence of liver injury and its severity following blunt abdominal trauma. In this study we included all patients who had sustained blunt abdominal injury and were treated in hospitals attached to bmcri between November 2018 to October 2020. The grading of the liver injury was verified using CT scans or surgical findings. All patiens with blunt abdominal trauma underwent the required blood tests and were included in the study. In patients with blunt abdominal trauma, abnormal hepatic transaminase levels are associated with liver injuries. Patients with ALT >57 U/l and AST >113 U/l are strongly associated with liver injury and require further imaging studies and close management. Key words: Liver injury; Blunt trauma; Transaminase; Computed tomography; Retrospective study.