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Updated: Apr 3, 2026
Author Spotlight: Deciphering Coagulation Disorders in Traumatic Brain Injury Patients
Published on: August 4, 2023
The impact of coagulopathy on traumatic splenic injuries
Norma Smalls1, Augustine Obirieze1, Imudia Ehanire1
1Department of Surgery, Howard University Hospital, Howard University College of Medicine, Suite 4B02, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20060, USA.
Background:
Patients with pre-injury coagulopathy have worse outcomes than those without coagulopathy. This article investigated the risk-adjusted effect of pre-injury coagulopathy on outcomes after splenic injuries.
Methods:
Review of the National Trauma Data Bank from 2007 to 2010 comparing mortality and complications between splenic injury patients with and without a pre-injury bleeding disorder.
Results:
Of 58,896 patients, 2% had a bleeding disorder. Coagulopathic patients had higher odds of mortality (odds ratio, 1.3), sepsis (odds ratio, 2.0), acute respiratory distress syndrome (odds ratio, 2.6), acute renal failure (odds ratio, 1.5), cardiac arrest (odds ratio, 1.5), and overall complications (odds ratio, 2.4). The higher odds of myocardial infarction did not achieve statistical significance (odds ratio, 1.6).
Conclusions:
Pre-injury coagulopathy in patients with splenic injury has a negative impact on cardiac arrest, sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute renal failure, and mortality. The higher likelihood of myocardial infarction did not reach statistical significance.
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