Factors affecting morbidity and mortality in pancreatic injuries

Difficulties in the detection of pancreatic damage result in morbidity and mortality in cases of pancreatic trauma. This study was performed to determine factors affecting morbidity and mortality in pancreatic trauma.

The records of 33 patients who underwent surgery for pancreatic trauma between January 2004 and December 2013 were analyzed retrospectively.

The types of injury were penetrating injury and blunt abdominal trauma in 75.8 and 24.2 % of all cases, respectively. Injuries were classified as stage 1 in 6 cases (18.2 %), stage 2 in 18 cases (54.5 %), stage 3 in 5 cases (15.2 %), and stage 4 in 4 cases (12.1 %). The average injury severity scale (ISS) value was 25.70 ± 9:33. Six patients (18.2 %) had isolated pancreatic injury, 27 (81.2 %) had additional intraabdominal organ injuries and 10 patients (30.3 %) had extraabdominal organ injuries. The mean length of hospital stay was 13.24 ± 9 days. Various complications were observed in eight patients (24.2 %) and mortality occurred in three (9.1 %). Complications were more frequent in patients with high pancreatic damage scores (p = 0.024), additional organ injuries (p = 0.05), and blunt trauma (p = 0.026). Pancreatic injury score was associated with morbidity, while the presence of major vascular injury was associated with mortality.

Complications were significantly more common in injuries with higher pancreatic damage scores, additional organ injuries, and blunt abdominal trauma. Pancreatic injury score was associated with morbidity, while the presence of major vascular injury was associated with mortality.