Abdominal Solid Organ Injuries Research Articles

National Analysis of Clinical Outcomes Associated With Cirrhotic Blunt Trauma Patients Undergoing Emergency Laparotomy Versus Non-operative Management: A Propensity Case-Matched Analysis.

This study aims to evaluate clinical outcomes among severely injured trauma patients presenting with isolated blunt abdominal solid organ injuries with a pre-diagnosis of liver cirrhosis (LC) undergoing emergency laparotomy vs nonoperative management (NOM). This retrospective cohort study utilized the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Program Participant Use File (ACS-TQIP-PUF) dataset from 2017 to 2021. Adults (≥18years) with a pre-existing diagnosis of LC who presented with severe blunt (ISS ≥ 16) isolated solid organ abdominal injuries and underwent laparotomy or NOM were included. Outcomes of interest included in-hospital mortality, intensive care unit length of stay (ICU-LOS), and in-hospital complications such as acute renal failure and deep vein thrombosis. 929 patients were included in this analysis, with 355 undergoing laparotomy and 574 managed nonoperatively. Laparotomy patients suffered greater in-hospital mortality (n = 186, 52.3% vs n = 115, 20.0%; P < .01), required significantly more blood within 4hours (8.9 units vs 4.3 units, P < .01), and had a significantly longer ICU-LOS (10.2days vs 6.7days, P < .01). In the 1:1 propensity score matched analysis of 556 matched patients, in-hospital mortality was greater for laparotomy patients (52.3% vs 20.0%, P < .01). Laparotomy was associated with significantly higher in-hospital mortality in propensity-matched trauma patients, longer ICU-LOS, and more blood products given at 4hours compared to NOM. These findings illustrate that NOM may be a safe approach in managing severely injured trauma patients with isolated blunt abdominal solid organ injuries and a pre-diagnosis of LC.

Therapeutic Dilemma: Acute Myocardial Infarction in a Patient with Traumatic Hepatic and Mesenteric Injuries: A Case Report.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in a trauma patient with solid abdominal organ or vascular injuries can present complex diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. Evidence for managing such demanding cases is scarce, and isolated case reports remain the source of information in treating these patients. We present a patient with traumatic mesenteric and hepatic injuries who developed acute STEMI in the immediate postoperative period.

Deep Learning for Automated Detection and Localization of Traumatic Abdominal Solid Organ Injuries on CT Scans.

Computed tomography (CT) is the most commonly used diagnostic modality for blunt abdominal trauma (BAT), significantly influencing management approaches. Deep learning models (DLMs) have shown great promise in enhancing various aspects of clinical practice. There is limited literature available on the use of DLMs specifically for trauma image evaluation. In this study, we developed a DLM aimed at detecting solid organ injuries to assist medical professionals in rapidly identifying life-threatening injuries. The study enrolled patients from a single trauma center who received abdominal CT scans between 2008 and 2017. Patients with spleen, liver, or kidney injury were categorized as the solid organ injury group, while others were considered negative cases. Only images acquired from the trauma center were enrolled. A subset of images acquired in the last year was designated as the test set, and the remaining images were utilized to train and validate the detection models. The performance of each model was assessed using metrics such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value based on the best Youden index operating point. The study developed the models using 1302 (87%) scans for training and tested them on 194 (13%) scans. The spleen injury model demonstrated an accuracy of 0.938 and a specificity of 0.952. The accuracy and specificity of the liver injury model were reported as 0.820 and 0.847, respectively. The kidney injury model showed an accuracy of 0.959 and a specificity of 0.989. We developed a DLM that can automate the detection of solid organ injuries by abdominal CT scans with acceptable diagnostic accuracy. It cannot replace the role of clinicians, but we can expect it to be a potential tool to accelerate the process of therapeutic decisions for trauma care.

Úrazy břicha u dětí - identifikace, základní principy klinické rozvahy a léčby

Úrazy břicha u dětí - identifikace, základní principy klinické rozvahy a léčby

Outcomes after Embolization in Pediatric Abdominal Solid Organ Injury: A Trauma Center Experience

Abstract Background Trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide among children. Nonoperative management is the standard of care in hemodynamically stable children with blunt abdominal solid organ injury. Embolization is a potential pathway, which has shown increasing evidence for benefit in adult trauma patients. However, the data in children is limited. Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of hospital data of all children (&lt;18 years of age), presenting to a tertiary-care trauma center in India, with history of blunt trauma from January 2021 to June 2023, was performed. Preprocedural imaging, angiographic and embolization details, number of blood transfusions, and length of hospital stay were assessed. Results Two hundred and sixteen children (average age: 11.65 years) presented with a history of abdominal trauma during the study period. Eighty four children were FAST positive, out of whom, 67 patients had abdominal solid organ injury on computed tomography. Liver was the most commonly injured solid organ (n = 45), followed by the spleen and kidney. Ten children had solid abdominal organ arterial injuries for which eight children underwent embolization. The average length of hospital stay in embolization group (n = 8) was 4 days, as compared to 11 days in children undergoing operative management (n = 2). At 6 months follow-up, all children were asymptomatic. Conclusion Superselective embolization is a safe and feasible procedure in appropriately selected children with abdominal injury.

Repeat imaging increases detection of delayed pseudoaneurysms in patients with high-grade solid organ injury following abdominal trauma.

Nonoperative management of abdominal trauma can be complicated by the development of delayed pseudoaneurysms. Early intervention reduces the risk of rupture and decreases mortality. The objective of this study is to determine the utility of repeat computed tomography (CT) imaging in detecting delayed pseudoaneurysms in patients with abdominal solid organ injury. A retrospective cohort study reviewing Montreal General Hospital registry between 2013 and 2019. Patients with The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grade 3 or higher solid organ injury following abdominal trauma were identified. A chart review was completed, and demographics, mechanism of injury, Injury Severity Score (ISS) score, AAST injury grade, CT imaging reports, and interventions were collected. Descriptive analysis and logistic regression model were completed. We identified 195 patients with 214 solid organ injuries. The average age was 38.6years; 28.2% were female, 90.3% had blunt trauma, and 9.7% had penetrating trauma. The average ISS score was 25.4 (SD 12.8) in patients without pseudoaneurysms and 19.5 (SD 8.6) in those who subsequently developed pseudoaneurysms. The initial management was nonoperative in 57.0% of the patients; 30.4% had initial angioembolization, and 12.6% went to the operating room. Of the cohort, 11.7% had pseudoaneurysms detected on repeat CT imaging within 72h. Grade 3 represents the majority of the injuries at 68.0%. The majority of these patients underwent angioembolization. In patients with high-grade solid organ injury following abdominal trauma, repeat CT imaging within 72h enabled the detection of delayed development of pseudoaneurysms in 11.7% of injuries. The majority of the patients were asymptomatic.

Pseudoaneurysm after High-Grade Penetrating Solid Organ Injury and Utility of Delayed CT Angiography.

Leaving an injured solid organ in situ allows preservation of structure function but invites complications from the damaged parenchyma, including pseudoaneurysms (PSAs). Empiric PSA screening after solid organ injury is not yet established, particularly following penetrating trauma. The study objective was definition of delayed CT angiography (dCTA) yield in triggering intervention for PSA after penetrating solid organ injury. Penetrating trauma patients at our American College of Surgeons-verified level 1 center with American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade ≥3 abdominal solid organ injury (liver, spleen, kidney) were retrospectively screened (January 2017 to October 2021). Exclusions were age <18 y, transfers, death within <48 h, and nephrectomy/splenectomy within <4 h. Primary outcome was intervention triggered by dCTA. Statistical testing with ANOVA/chi-square compared outcomes between screened vs unscreened patients. A total of 136 penetrating trauma patients met study criteria: 57 patients (42%) screened for PSA with dCTA and 79 (58%) unscreened. Liver injuries were most common (n = 41, 64% vs n = 55, 66%), followed by kidney (n = 21, 33% vs n = 23, 27%) and spleen (n = 2, 3% vs n = 6, 7%) (p = 0.48). Median American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade of solid organ injury was 3 (3 to 4) across groups (p = 0.75). dCTA diagnosed 10 PSAs (18%) at a median of hospital day 5 (3 to 9). Among screened patients, dCTA triggered intervention in 17% of liver patients, 29% of kidney patients, and 0% of spleen-injured patients, for an overall yield of 23%. Half of eligible penetrating high-grade solid organ injuries were screened for PSA with dCTA. dCTA identified a significant number of PSAs and triggered intervention in 23% of screened patients. dCTA did not diagnose any PSAs after splenic injury, although sample size hinders interpretation. To avoid missing PSAs and incurring their risk of rupture, universal screening of high-grade penetrating solid organ injuries may be prudent.

Predictive Factors Associated with Mortality and Disposition Following Abdominal Solid Organ Injuries

Treffalls, Rebecca; Luu, Jennie H MBS; Parikh, Raina; Treffalls, John A BS; Etlinger, John E MD, FACS Author Information

Detection of post-traumatic abdominal pseudoaneurysms by CEUS and CT: A prospective comparative global study (the PseAn study)-study protocol.

The success of non-operative management in trauma increased with the availability of new-generation CT scan machines, endoscopy, and angiography, becoming the standard of care in hemodynamically stable trauma patients with abdominal solid organ injuries, with a success rate of 78% to 98%. Post-traumatic pseudoaneurysms (PAs) can develop at any region of an injured artery and they may cause delayed bleeding in splenic or hepatic trauma, with an incidence in patients treated with NOM of 2%-27% and 1.2%-6.1% respectively. Diagnosis is made by angiography, contrast-enhanced computer tomography (CT), or Doppler Ultrasound (US) while the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), has increased in recent years although few data are available about CEUS feasibility in the follow-up setting. The PseaAn study has been designed to assess the role of CEUS in the follow-up of abdominal trauma by defining its sensitivity, specificity and predictive values compared with abdominal CT scan. The PseAn study is a multi-centric international diagnostic cross-sectional study initiated by the Level I Trauma Center of the Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital in Milan, Italy. To study the role of CEUS in detecting post-traumatic splenic, hepatic, and renal PAs compared with the gold standard of CT with intravenous contrast at different follow-up time points, and whether it can replace CT scan in the follow-up of solid organ injuries, patients with OIS III and above will undergo a follow-up with both a CEUS and CT scan to detect post-traumatic parenchymal pseudoaneurysm within two to five days from injury. The use of CEUS in the follow-up of abdominal trauma follow-up (particularly blunt trauma) has increased, to minimise the use of ionizing radiation and contrast media and encouraging results have been published during the last decade showing that CEUS is an accurate technique for evaluating traumatic lesions of solid abdominal organs. Conclusions We think that CEUS, which is underused worldwide, is a useful and safe tool that may replace CT scan in follow-up with the major advantage of reduced radiation. Our current study may give stronger evidence to support this view.

Analysis of Blunt Abdominal Solid Organ Injury in Children: A Single Centre Study

Aim: To determine the management of solid organ injuries in blunt trauma abdomen (BTA) in children whether to conserve or operate. Study design: Descriptive case series. Place and duration of study: Department of Paediatric Surgery Sahiwal Teaching Hospital and Sahiwal Medical College Sahiwal from 1st January 2020 to 31st March 2022. Methodology: Fifty eight patients with blunt abdominal trauma due to any cause, the medical records of all patients with trauma of any kind age upto 13 years were carefully reviewed. Initial resuscitation was done according to ATLS protocol. Ultimate management decision was based on stability of patients after resuscitation. Results: The mean age was 5.34 years. Most of the patients suffered from road traffic accident, 50(86.2%). Fifty two (89.65%) patients showed free fluid in the abdomen. Organ injury in 27(46.55%) patients. CT abdomen with intravenous contrast confirmed findings of ultra sonography. Despite resuscitation, 17(43.9%) patients remained unstable and were operated. Forty one patients were kept on conservative treatment. Hospital stay ranged from 1-19 days. Conclusion: Although non-operative management is the treatment of choice in blunt trauma abdomen with solid organ injury but stability of the injured child is the central pivot around which the whole management revolves. Delay in presentation and failure of timely resuscitation results into high operative intervention. Keywords: Blunt trauma, solid, Liver, Spleen, children

Outcome of Kidney Trauma Management: Experiences from a Tertiary Referral Hospital in East Indonesia

Introduction: Due to the high mortality and morbidity, kidney trauma ranks third among causes of abdominal solid organ injury, accounting for 24% of cases. In terms of trauma patient profiles, including trauma kinds, diagnoses, and management techniques, middle-income nations like Indonesia have distinctive characteristics. In order to improve the kidney trauma database in Indonesia, particularly in Surabaya, this study examines the 7-year treatment results for renal trauma at a tertiary referral hospital. Methods: The Department of Urology at Dr. Soetomo General-Academic Hospital handled 116 renal trauma patients over the course of 7 years (2013–2020), and secondary data from these cases were analyzed in this retrospective single-institution analysis. Age, gender, hemodynamic status, injury site, kidney damage score from the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST), related organ injury, treatment, and treatment outcomes are among the variables. Results: Total 116 patients with kidney trauma recorded. 89% of patients in hospitals are male, with male adolescents 20 years of age or under making up about 42% of this group. The majority of cases (94.8%) were caused by motor vehicle accidents (MVAs). Grade I trauma was encountered by nearly half of all patients (43.1%). Abdominal injuries made up the majority of cases (47.9%). Both low- and high-grade AAST injury groups showed stable hemodynamic status (71.3%, P = 0.36), low mortality (71.4%, P = 1.00), and conservative therapy (74.2%, P = 0.40). Conclusion: The majority of kidney trauma cases were discovered in men, were MVA-related, and involved severe damage in addition to preexisting injuries. Adult trauma centers should employ nonoperative treatment for low-grade and high-grade renal trauma.

Thromboprophylaxis Timing After Blunt Solid Organ Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

IntroductionTrauma patients with blunt abdominal solid organ injuries are at high risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE), but the optimal time to safely administer chemical thromboprophylaxis is controversial, especially for patients who are managed nonoperatively due to increased risk of hemorrhage. We sought to compare failure of nonoperative management (NOM) and VTE events based on timing of chemical thromboprophylaxis initiation. MethodsA systematic review was conducted in PubMed and Embase databases. Studies were included if they evaluated timing of initiation of chemical thromboprophylaxis in trauma patients who underwent NOM of blunt solid organ injuries. Outcomes included failure of NOM and incidence of VTE. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed comparing patients who received late (>48 h) versus early thromboprophylaxis initiation. ResultsTwelve retrospective cohort studies, comprising 21,909 patients, were included. Three studies, including 6375 patients, provided data on adjusted outcomes. Pooled adjusted analysis demonstrated no difference in failure of NOM in patients receiving late versus early thromboprophylaxis (odds ratio [OR] 0.92, 95% confidence interval [CI]:0.4-2.14). When including all unadjusted studies, even those at high risk of bias, there remained no difference in failure of NOM (OR 1.16, 95% CI:0.72-1.86). In the adjusted analysis for VTE events, which had 6259 patients between two studies, patients receiving late chemical thromboprophylaxis had a higher risk of VTE compared with those who received early thromboprophylaxis (OR 1.89, 95% CI:1.15-3.12). ConclusionsBased on current observational evidence, initiation of prophylaxis before 48 h is associated with lower VTE rates without higher risk of failure of NOM.

Pseudoaneurysm Screening after Pediatric High Grade Solid Organ Injury.

High grade solid organ injuries carry risk of complications, including pseudoaneurysms (PSA). The optimal approach to PSA screening among pediatric patients is unknown and may include delayed Computed Tomography Angiography (dCTA) and/or contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). This study endeavored to define dCTA/CEUS yield in PSA diagnosis after pediatric high grade solid organ injury. Patients <18y presenting to our ACS-verified Level 1 trauma center with ≥1 AAST grade ≥3 abdominal solid organ injury (kidney, liver, and spleen) were included (01/2017-10/2021). Transfers in, death <48h, and immediate nephrectomy/splenectomy were exclusions. PSA screening was pursued selectively based on attending discretion. Demographics, clinical/injury data, and outcomes were collected. Primary outcome was performance of dCTA or CEUS. Forty-two patients satisfied criteria, with median age 12.5y and ISS 22. Liver injuries were most frequent (48%), followed by spleen (33%) and kidney (19%). Initial management strategy was most commonly nonoperative (liver 60%, spleen 64%, kidney 75%). Overall, 26% underwent PSA screening at a median of hospital day 4, with dCTA (21%) or CEUS (5%). CEUS was only used among liver injuries (10%), with no PSA identified. One PSA was diagnosed on dCTA after splenic injury and was managed with observation. PSA screening occurs infrequently after pediatric high grade solid organ injury, potentially due to concerns about radiation exposure from dCTA which would be mitigated with CEUS. Further delineation of PSA incidence and yield of screening investigations are needed to avoid missing this important diagnosis and to determine the diagnostic accuracy of dCTA and CEUS.

Current Trends of Conservative Management of Blunt Abdominal Solid Organ Injury

Introduction: Bangladesh is one of the most densely inhabited countries in the world. Road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of morbidity, and the incidence of blunt abdominal injuries is on the rise. Over the last several years, the treatment of blunt abdominal injury (BAI) has changed dramatically. Conservative or non-operative treatment (NOM) of liver, spleen, and kidney injuries has proven to be quite effective. Methods of study: A prospective observational study was done in Dhaka medical college with 50 consecutive patients included from January 2010 to June 2010. Results: Within the 50 consecutive patients 88% were male, and 64% were motor vehicular crashes. 26 patients (52%) had a liver injury; 5 (10%) had a renal injury; 7 (14%) had a splenic injury and 3 (6%) had a pancreatic injury; 9(18%), 2 patients (4%) had both liver and spleen injury, 3 patients (6%) had both spleen and kidney injury. 39 (78%) patients were managed successfully by a conservative approach. Compared with these patients who underwent non-operative management (NOM) initially, patients in the operative group had a higher injury severity score. (p &lt; 0.001). Twenty-seven patients (high risk) were successfully treated without surgery. No serious complication was found on routine image follow-up. Conclusion: Conservative or non-operative management of blunt abdominal solid organ injury in hemodynamically stable patients is highly successful in many fields when compared with the operative group, including the outcomes of morbidity, mortality, and length of hospital stay.

ISOLATED PANCREATIC INJURIES: A CASE SERIES

Context: Pancreatic injuries constitutes a set of rare abdominal solid organ injuries. Isolated pancreatic injuries are even more rare injuries and are often missed in initial clinical and radiological evaluation . such injuries present late and denitive guidelines to manage such injuries are lacking, considering rarity of such injuries. Unpredictable course involves traumatic pancreatitis, pancreatic necrosis, peripancreatic collections, infective complications and extra abdominal complication The aim of this study is to present clinical details and management outcomes of such casesAims: at our institute This study is a retrospective analytical study In this retrospective study medicalSettings and Design: Methods and Material: records of all the admissions were collected from trauma registry from may 2016 to april 2022 at Thanjavur medical college. All these records were screened for patients with isolated pancreatic injuries All continuous variables were analyzed with descriptive statisticsStatistical analysis used: and their mean, median, mode, range and frequencies were calculated. All categorical data are analyzed with frequencies. Comparison of data is done using: all nominal data is analyzed with parametric tests (Chi-square test, unpaired t test) and non-nominal data is analyzed with non- parametric tests (Fischer's exact test and Mann-whitney U test). In our study a total of 22 cases were included. Mean age being 33.91yearsResults: among which 81.8% were males. 72.7% of the patients suffered road trafc accidents. 77.3% of the patients had BMI less than 25. Main pancreatic duct (MPD) involvement was noticed in 22.7% patients. median levels of serum amylase levels were 390U/L. 22.7% patients underwent operative management were as rest were managed non-operatively. Two patients died due to severe pancreatitis. Isolated pancreatic injuries inConclusions: patients where surgery is otherwise not indicated due to other causes needs management tailored to the clinical needs of the patient. Diagnostic ambiguity is best resolved by combining computed tomography (CT) and Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). Patients with distal MPD injury are usually operated when presented early and pancreatic stenting is considered when proximal ductal injury is noticed. In selected cases conservative approach is not a contraindication, even in patients with MPD injury, considering high stula and peripancreatic collection rates in distal pancreatectomy.

Indications for the surgical management of pancreatic trauma: An update.

Pancreatic trauma is rare compared to other abdominal solid organ injuries, accounting for 0.2%-0.3% of all trauma patients. Moreover, this type of injury may frequently be overlooked or not readily appreciated on initial clinical examinations and investigations. The organ injury scale determines the severity of the trauma. Nonetheless, there are conflicting recommendations for the best strategy in severe cases. Overall, conservative management of induced severe traumatic pancreatitis is adequate. Modern imaging modalities such as ultrasound scanning and computed tomography scanning can detect injuries in fewer than 60% of patients. However, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) have diagnostic accuracies approaching 90%-100%. Thus, management options include ERCP and stent placement or distal pancreatectomy in cases of complete gland transection and wide drainage only for damage control surgery, which can prevent mortality but increases the risk of morbidity. In the majority of cases, surgical intervention is not required and should be reserved for only severe grade III to grade V injuries.

Nonoperative management of blunt abdominal solid organ injury: Are we paying enough attention to patients on preinjury anticoagulation?

BackgroundThis study aims to assess the impact of pre-injury anticoagulant use on outcomes of isolated blunt abdominal SOI patients who underwent NOM. MethodsA 1-year(2017) analysis of the ACS-TQIP. We included all ≥18yrs trauma patients with isolated blunt abdominal-SOI who underwent NOM. Patients were stratified into two groups based on their history of pre-injury anticoagulant use. Propensity score matching was performed. ResultsA matched cohort of 2709 patients (AC, 903; No-AC,1806) was analyzed. Compared to the No-AC group, the AC group had higher rates of failure of NOM(2.6% vs. 4.5%, p = 0.03), cardiac arrest (1.2%vs. 3.1%, p = 0.02), acute kidney injury (2.4% vs. 4.2%, p < 0.01), myocardial infarction (0.6% vs. 1.4%,p = 0.03), and mortality (5.1%vs. 7.6%,p = 0.01), and longer hospital LOS (17[10–24]vs.17[12–26]days,p = 0.04) and ICU LOS (11[6–17]vs.11[7–18]days,p = 0.01). ConclusionAmong nonoperatively managed blunt abdominal SOI patients, preinjury use of anticoagulants negatively impacts outcomes. Extra surveillance is required while managing patients with blunt abdominal SOI on pre-injury anticoagulants. Level of evidenceLevel III. Study typeTherapeutic/care management.

Intraosseus administration of an ultrasound contrast agent in a case of pediatric blunt abdominal trauma

Adding an ultrasound contrast agent to the Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) exam can substantially improve the diagnostic accuracy of identifying solid organ injuries and rapidly identify significant organ lacerations and active intraperitoneal hemorrhage. The standard recommendations are to use a 20g peripheral IV for administration to prevent microbubble breakage associated with high infusion pressures. In time-critical trauma resuscitations however, rapid vascular access often necessitates the use of intraosseous catheters (IO). We describe the first use of IO access to successfully administer an ultrasound contrast agent in a critically injured 16 month-old toddler. The cFAST exam identified a liver laceration and provided superior diagnostic information compared the non-contrast abdominal CT obtained at an outside facility. • Adding an ultrasound contrast agent to the FAST exam can help to rapidly diagnose significant solid abdominal organ injuries. • Ultrasound contrast arrival times and organ opacification appear to be similar to the intravenous route. • A contrast-enhanced FAST exam (cFAST) can provide superior diagnostic information compared to an unenhanced abdominal CT.

Difference in Presentation and Concomitant Intra-Abdominal Injury with Chance Fracture in Pediatric and Adult Populations.

Chance fracture (CFx) with concomitant intra-abdominal injury has variable occurrence rates ranging from 33 to 89%. No single study has compared the incidence of simultaneous abdominal injury between pediatric and adult populations. This study compares the rate of simultaneous intra-abdominal injury and chance fracture in these populations. A retrospective review of pediatric and adult patients with chance fracture in comparable pediatric and adult trauma centers was performed. Patient demographics, mechanism of injury (MOI), and injury patterns were collected from 2002 to 2019 for pediatric patients and 2015 to 2018 for adults. Student t-test analyses were performed to determine statistical significance between the cohorts. The pediatric group had a similar incidence of abdominal solid organ injuries compared to adults (16 [20.5%] vs. 40 [19.7%], p<0.879), but the pediatric group had a greater number of total intra-abdominal (49 [62.8%] vs. 47 [23.1%], p < 0.001) and hollow organ injuries (40 [51.3%] vs. 17 [8.4%], p < 0.001). Motor vehicle collision was the most common mechanism of injury for both groups (72 pediatric [92.3%] vs. 85 adult [41.7%]) but adults suffered from more falls (3 pediatric vs. 81 adult, p < 0.001). Pediatric patients with CFx caused by MVCs had more intra-abdominal injuries (48 [66.7%] vs. 25[29.8%], p < 0.001) and hollow organ injuries compared to adults (39 [54.2%] vs. 8[9.5%], p < 0.001). In the setting of Chance fracture after trauma, pediatric patients are more likely to have a concomitant intra-abdominal organ injury (63% vs. 23%), especially hollow viscus injury (51.3% vs. 8.4%) compared with adults regardless of mechanism.

Surgical Skills in General Surgery Residency Program: Current Trends and Future Directions

Today, general surgery residents (GSR) face unorthodox challenges due to variation in caseloads and the implementation of duty hour restrictions. It has been stated that the most concerning change in the education of GSRs was the downward trend in weekly operative cases. The integration of surgical skills labs utilizing human body donors could prove to be beneficial for education. The use of human body donors for anatomy education is not a novel idea, however research needs to be done to better understand pros and cons of different preservation methods for surgical skill training. Traditionally formaldehyde is used as the main preservative however soft‐preservation techniques (such as alcohol and Thiel) and fresh‐frozen methods have been gaining popularity as an educational tool for professional students and surgical residents due to the many lifelike qualities the tissue retains during preservation. Studies using soft preserved donors have investigated skill confidence of GSR which all showed an increase in confidence for surgical skills for all PGY residents. Some of these skills include: surgical airway, tracheoesophageal injuries, thoracotomy‐cardiac injury, solid abdominal organ injury, and more. Integration of human body donors into GSR programs has proven to be advantageous for development of surgical skills and confidence in the capabilities of surgical residents. In an effort to improve anatomy education and surgical skill development for general surgery residents additional research should be done. Future studies need to compare the various educational anatomical models and preservation methods could prove to be advantageous.