Steven E. Ross

Blunt splenic injury in adults: Multi-institutional study of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma

BACKGROUND Nonoperative management of blunt injury to the spleen in adults has been applied with increasing frequency. However, the criteria for nonoperative management are controversial. The purpose of this multi-institutional study was to determine which factors predict successful observation of blunt splenic injury in adults. METHODS A total of 1,488 adults (>15 years of age) with blunt splenic injury from 27 trauma centers in 1997 were studied through the Multi-institutional Trials Committee of the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma. Statistical analysis was performed with analysis of variance and extended chi2 test. Data are expressed as mean +/- SD; a value of p < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS A total of 38.5 % of patients went directly to the operating room (group I); 61.5% of patients were admitted with planned nonoperative management. Of the patients admitted with planned observation, 10.8% failed and required laparotomy; 82.1% of patients with an Injury Severity Score (ISS) < 15 and 46.6% of patients with ISS > 15 were successfully observed. Frequency of immediate operation correlated with American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grades of splenic injury: I (23.9%), II (22.4%), III (38.1%), IV (73.7%), and V (94.9%) (p < 0.05). Of patients initially managed nonoperatively, the failure rate increased significantly by AAST grade of splenic injury: I (4.8%), II (9.5%), III (19.6%), IV (33.3%), and V (75.0%) (p < 0.05). A total of 60.9% of the patients failed nonoperative management within 24 hours of admission; 8% failed 9 days or later after injury. Laparotomy was ultimately performed in 19.9% of patients with small hemoperitoneum, 49.4% of patients with moderate hemoperitoneum, and 72.6% of patients with large hemoperitoneum. CONCLUSION In this multicenter study, 38.5% of adults with blunt splenic injury went directly to laparotomy. Ultimately, 54.8% of patients were successfully managed nonoperatively; the failure rate of planned observation was 10.8%, with 60.9% of failures occurring in the first 24 hours. Successful nonoperative management was associated with higher blood pressure and hematocrit, and less severe injury based on ISS, Glasgow Coma Scale, grade of splenic injury, and quantity of hemoperitoneum.

Status of nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injuries in 1995: a multicenter experience with 404 patients

INTRODUCTION Nonoperative management is presently considered the treatment modality of choice in over 50% of adult patients sustaining blunt hepatic trauma who meet inclusion criteria. A multicenter study was retrospectively undertaken to assess whether the combined experiences at level I trauma centers could validate the currently reported high success rate, low morbidity, and virtually nonexistent mortality associated with this approach. Thirteen level I trauma centers accrued 404 adult patients sustaining blunt hepatic injuries managed nonoperatively over the last 5 years. Seventy-two percent of the injuries resulted from motor vehicle crashes. The mean injury severity score for the entire group was 20.2 (range, 4-75), and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma-computerized axial tomography scan grading was as follows: grade I, 19% (n = 76); grade II, 31% (n = 124); grade III, 36% (n = 146); grade IV, 10% (n = 42); and grade V, 4% (n = 16). There were 27 deaths (7%) in the series, with 59% directly related to head trauma. Only two deaths (0.4%) could be attributed to hepatic injury. Twenty-one (5%) complications were documented, with the most common being hemorrhage, occurring in 14 (3.5%). Only 3 (0.7%) of these 14 patients required surgical intervention, 6 were treated by transfusions alone (0.5 to 5 U), 4 underwent angio-embolization, and 1 was further observed. Other complications included 2 bilomas and 3 perihepatic abscesses (all drained percutaneously). Two small bowel injuries were initially missed (0.5%), and diagnosed 2 and 3 days after admission. Overall, 6 patients required operative intervention: 3 for hemorrhage, 2 for missed enteric injuries, and 1 for persistent sepsis after unsuccessful percutaneous drainage. Average length of stay was 13 days. Nonoperative management of blunt hepatic injuries is clearly the treatment modality of choice in hemodynamically stable patients, irrespective of grade of injury or degree of hemoperitoneum. Current data would suggest that 50 to 80% (47% in this series) of all adult patients with blunt hepatic injuries are candidates for this form of therapy. Exactly 98.5% of patients analyzed in this study successfully avoided operative intervention. Bleeding complications are infrequently encountered (3.5%) and can often be managed nonoperatively. Although grades IV and V injuries composed 14% of the series, they represented 66.6% of the patients requiring operative intervention and thus merit constant re-evaluation and close observation in critical care units. The optimal time for follow-up computerized axial tomography scanning seems to be within 7 to 10 days after injury.

The clinical utility of computed tomographic scanning and neurologic examination in the management of patients with minor head injuries.

The evaluation and management of patients with minor head injury (MHI: history of loss of consciousness or posttraumatic amnesia and a GCS score greater than 12) remain controversial. Recommendations vary from routine admission without computed tomographic (CT) scanning to mandatory CT scanning and admission to CT scanning without admission for selected patients. Previous reports examining this issue have included patients with associated non-CNS injuries who confound the interpretation of the data and affect outcome. We hypothesized that patients with MHI and no other reason for admission with normal neurologic examinations and normal CT scans would have a negligible risk of neurologic deterioration requiring surgical intervention. To validate this hypothesis we studied 2766 patients with an isolated MHI admitted to seven trauma centers between January 1, 1988, and December 31, 1991. There were 1898 male patients and 868 female patients; injury was blunt in 99%. A neurologic examination and a CT scan were performed on 2166 patients; 933 patients had normal neurologic examinations and normal CT scans and none required craniotomy; 1170 patients had normal CT scans and none required craniotomy; 2112 patients had normal neurologic examinations and 59 required craniotomy. The sensitivity of the CT scan was 100%, with positive predictive value of 10%, negative predictive value of 100%, and specificity of 51%. The use of CT alone as a diagnostic modality would have saved 3924 hospital days, including 814 ICU days, and

Isolated traumatic brain injury: age is an independent predictor of mortality and early outcome.

1,509,012 in hospital charges. Based on these data, we believe that CT scanning is essential in the management of patients with MHI and that if the neurologic examination is normal and the scan is negative patients can be safely discharged from the emergency room.

MILD HEAD INJURY: A PLEA FOR ROUTINE EARLY CT SCANNING

BACKGROUND Geriatric trauma patients have a worse outcome than the young with comparable injuries. The contribution of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to this increased mortality is unknown and has been confounded by the presence of other injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of age in the mortality and early outcome from isolated TBI. METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of all adult patients with isolated TBI (Abbreviated Injury Scale score > or = 3) admitted during a 5-year period to two Level I trauma centers. Mortality, Glasgow Outcome Scale score at discharge, therapy, and complications were compared for elderly (age > or = 65 years) and younger patients. RESULTS Of 694 patients, 22% were defined as elderly. The mortality for the elderly group was twice that of their younger counterparts (30% vs. 14%, p < 0.001), even for those with mild to moderate TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale score of 9-15). Thirteen percent of elderly survivors had a poor functional outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 2 or 3) at hospital discharge versus 5% in the young group (p < 0.01). Independent factors associated with a high mortality were age and Glasgow Coma Scale score. CONCLUSION The mortality from TBI is higher in the geriatric population at all levels of head injury. In addition, functional outcome at hospital discharge is worse. Although some of this increased mortality may be explained by complications or type of head injury, age itself is an independent predictor for mortality in TBI.

Delayed brain injury after head trauma: significance of coagulopathy

We reviewed the records of 1538 mild head injury patients admitted during a 4 1/2-year period to the Southern New Jersey Regional Trauma Center. All patients had experienced brief loss of consciousness or amnesia, but had a normal or near normal neurologic examination on admission, with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 13-15 and no focal neurologic deficit. Routine urgent cranial CT scans were obtained on all patients, and correlations between skull fractures and intracranial lesions investigated. Two hundred sixty-five patients (17.2%) harbored 340 lesions on CT scans, of which 131 were fractures and 209 were intracranial abnormalities. Fifty-eight patients needed surgery for their intracranial lesions; 23 of them had no skull fractures. None of the 1339 patients without CT evidence of intracranial lesions deteriorated under observation. We conclude that clinical observation with or without skull x-ray films is inadequate to rule out potentially dangerous intracranial lesions in apparently mild head injuries. If there is a history of loss of consciousness or amnesia, an immediate CT scan is indicated. If the results of the CT scan are normal and there are no other indications for admission, these patients may be safely discharged.

Distal pancreatectomy for trauma: a multicenter experience.

We reviewed the records of 253 patients with head injury who required serial computed tomographic (CT) scans; 123 (48.6%) developed delayed brain injury as evidenced by new or progressive lesions after a CT scan. An abnormality in the prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, or platelet count at admission was present in 55% of the patients who showed evidence of delayed injury, and only 9% of those whose subsequent CT scans were unchanged or improved from the time of admission (P less than 0.001). Among patients developing delayed injury, mean prothrombin time at admission was significantly longer (14.6 vs. 12.6 s, P less than 0.001) and partial thromboplastin time was significantly longer (36.9 vs. 29.2 s, P less than 0.001) than patients who did not have delayed injury. If coagulation studies at admission were normal, a patient with head injury had a 31% risk of developing delayed insults. This risk rose to almost 85% if at least one clotting test at admission was abnormal (P less than 0.001). We conclude that clotting studies at admission are of value in predicting the occurrence of delayed injury. If coagulopathy is discovered in the patient with head injury early follow-up CT scanning is advocated to discover progressive and new intracranial lesions that are likely to occur.

Pulmonary Embolism in Major Trauma Patients

During a 5-year period, 74 patients with pancreatic injuries were managed by distal pancreatic resection at nine referral trauma centers. Patient ages ranged from 4 to 72 years. Injury mechanism was blunt trauma in 34 (46%) patients, gunshot wound in 27 (36%), stab wound in 11 (15%), and shotgun blast in two (3%). There were 19 class II, 50 class III, and 5 class IV pancreatic injuries. The resection comprised up to 33% of the pancreas in 21 (28%) patients, from 34% to 66% in 45 (61%), and greater than 67% in eight (11%). The pancreatic resection margin was closed with staples in 44 (59%), silk sutures in 20 (27%), and polypropylene sutures in eight (11%). Of 32 patients in whom the spleen was uninjured, the spleen was left intact in 17 (53%). There were nine (12%) deaths. The cause of death was irreversible shock in three patients, multiple organ failure in five, and severe head injury in one. Pancreas-related complications occurred in 32 (45%) of 71 patients who survived the initial operation. Intra-abdominal abscess developed in 24 patients; 11 were managed by percutaneous drainage alone. Pancreatic fistula developed in 10 patients; eight closed spontaneously from 6 to 54 days. Other pancreas-related morbidity included pancreatitis (6), pseudocyst (2), and hemorrhage (2). Exocrine insufficiency was not evident in any patient and diet-controlled hyperglycemia occurred in one individual following 80% pancreatic resection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Conservative management of duodenal trauma: a multicenter perspective.

In a 1-year retrospective review, 30 pulmonary emboli were diagnosed among 1,316 trauma patients who survived for at least 24 hours after admission to a Level I trauma center. Pelvic fractures, age over 55 years, severe single or multiple system trauma, and cannulation of central veins all appear to place injured patients at increased risk. Long bone fractures were not associated with an increased risk. The majority of pulmonary emboli were diagnosed during the first week of hospitalization with some as early as 24 hours and none later than 15 days postinjury. Although the etiology of these early emboli is uncertain, prolonged immobilization does not appear to play a role in placing these patients at increased risk for thromboembolic events. Pulmonary embolism should be suspected in any injured patient with respiratory compromise, and an aggressive approach to diagnosis is warranted.

Delayed and Progressive Brain Injury in Closed-Head Trauma

The experience of eight trauma centers with duodenal injuries was analyzed to identify trends in operative management, sources of duodenal-related morbidity, and causes of mortality. During the 5-year period ending December 1988, 164 duodenal injuries were identified. Patient ages ranged from 5 to 78 years. There were 38 Class I, 70 Class II, 48 Class III, four Class IV, and four Class V injuries. Injury mechanism was penetrating in 102 (62%) patients and blunt in 62. Primary repair of the duodenal injury was performed in 117 (71%) patients, including 27 patients also managed with pyloric exclusion and 12 with tube duodenostomy. Duodenal resection with primary anastomosis was used in six (4%) patients and pancreatoduodenectomy was necessary in five (3%). There were 30 (18%) deaths. The cause of death was uncontrolled hemorrhage from severe hepatic or vascular injuries in 22 (73%) patients. In only two (1%) patients could death be attributed to the duodenal injury; each as the result of duodenal repair dehiscence and subsequent sepsis. Duodenal-related morbidity was documented in 29 (18%) patients, including 22 patients with intra-abdominal abscess, six with duodenal fistula, and five with frank duodenal dehiscence. In summary, this analysis demonstrated: 1) the great majority of duodenal injuries can be managed by simple repair; 2) tube duodenostomy is not a mandatory component of operative treatment; 3) pyloric exclusion is a useful adjunct for more complex injuries; 4) pancreatoduodenectomy is rarely necessary for civilian duodenal trauma; 5) morbidity following duodenal trauma is more dependent on associated intra-abdominal injuries than the extent of duodenal trauma; and 6) mortality following duodenal injuries is primarily related to associated vascular and hepatic trauma.