Factors affecting morbidity and mortality in hollow visceral injuries following blunt abdominal trauma

Hollow visceral injuries following blunt abdominal trauma are uncommon. The potential risk factors affecting morbidity and mortality are not well known. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the outcomes of hollow viscus perforation after blunt abdominal trauma.

Patient files of 56 adult patients who were treated with diagnosis hollow viscus injuries due to blunt abdominal trauma between the years 2000 and 2011 at the Dicle University Medical School General Surgery Clinic were retrospectively evaluated by analyzing the relationship between morbidity-mortality and potential risk factors.

Fifty-six patients formed the study group, with median age of 37.5 ± 17,0 (range, 16-78) years and a significant male (80.3%) predominance. The median Injury Severity Score was 4 (1-25). The median length of hospital stay 7.5 (1-21) days. The mean age in the group with morbidity (47.1 ± 17.4) was significantly higher than the group without morbidity (34.3 ± 15.8) (p<0.05). Also, re-operation (p=0.0013), treatment modality (p=0.037), cause of injuries (0.0046) were other factors that affect morbidity.

These findings suggest that factors affecting morbidity were cause of injuries, re-operation and treatment in patients with hollow viscus injury caused by blunt abdominal trauma. And factors affecting mortality were the injured organ, the presence of shock and median injury severity score.