Related Experiment Videos
Prognostic factors in patients with inferior vena cava injuries
M R Rosengart1, D R Smith, S M Melton
1Department of Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham 35294, USA.
Insights
Inferior vena cava (IVC) injuries have a high mortality rate, with blunt trauma and specific injury locations being more dangerous. Patient
Area of Science:
- Trauma Surgery
- Vascular Surgery
- Emergency Medicine
Background:
- Inferior vena cava (IVC) injuries are severe trauma with high mortality.
- Advances in critical care have not significantly reduced mortality rates for IVC trauma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze factors influencing mortality in patients with inferior vena cava trauma.
- To identify predictors of survival and death in IVC injury cases.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 37 patients with IVC trauma from 1987-1996.
- Analysis of injury characteristics, patient physiology, and treatment outcomes.
Main Results:
- Overall mortality was 51%, with higher rates for blunt injuries, shotgun wounds, and suprahepatic/retrohepatic locations.
- Associated injuries and physiological status (shock, lactate, base deficit) significantly impacted survival.
- Operative management (lateral repair, ligation) showed high mortality, while Gortex graft had 0% mortality.
Conclusions:
- Wounding agent, injury location, associated injuries, and physiological status are key determinants of mortality in IVC trauma.
- Future efforts should focus on injury prevention and improved management strategies for hospitalized patients.
- Further research into advanced surgical techniques, like Gortex grafting, may improve outcomes.
Abstract:
Inferior vena cava (IVC) injuries are potentially devastating insults that continue to be associated with high mortality despite advances in prehospital and in-hospital critical care. Between 1987 and 1996, 37 patients (32 males and 5 females; average age, 30 years) were identified from the trauma registry as having sustained IVC trauma. Overall mortality was 51 per cent (n = 19), with 13 intraoperative deaths and five patients dying within the first 48 hours. Blunt IVC injuries (n = 8) had a higher associated mortality than penetrating wounds (63% versus 48%). Of the 29 patients with penetrating IVC trauma, the wounding agent influenced mortality (shotgun-100% versus gunshot-43% versus stab-0%). Anatomical location of injury was also predictive of death [suprahepatic (n = 3)-100% versus retrohepatic (n = 9)-78% versus suprarenal (n = 6)-33% versus juxtarenal (n = 2)-50% versus infrarenal (n = 15)-33%]. A direct relationship existed between outcome and the number of associated injuries: nonsurvivors averaged four and survivors averaged three. Eighty per cent of patients sustaining four or more associated injuries died, by contrast to a 33 per cent mortality in those suffering less than four injuries. Physiological factors were also predictive of outcome. Patients in shock (systolic blood pressure < 80) on arrival had a higher mortality than those who were hemodynamically stable (76% versus 30%). Preoperative lactate levels were of prognostic value for death (> or = 4.0-59% versus < 4.0-0%), as was base deficit (< 4-22%, > or = 4, and < 10-36%, > or = 10-73%). Interestingly, neither time from injury to hospital arrival (47.4 minutes versus 33.0 minutes) nor time in the emergency department before surgery (45.6 minutes versus 42.6 minutes) differed between survivors and fatalities. Mortality remained high in the 34 patients who had operative control of their IVC injuries [lateral repair (n = 27)-44% versus ligation (n = 6)-66% versus Gortex graft (n = 1)-0%]. As wounding agent, anatomical location, associated injuries, and physiological status seem to most directly impact mortality, future efforts must focus both on establishing prevention programs directed at reducing the incidence of this injury, as well as on advancing the management of those who do survive to hospitalization, if we are to improve on the outcome of these devastating injuries.