Patients at High Risk of Intervention for Pediatric Traumatic Liver Injury

Nonoperative management of hemodynamically stable liver lacerations in pediatric trauma patients is a safe and effective management strategy for pediatric patients; approximately 90% will be successfully managed nonoperatively. No study has specifically identified risk criteria for the need for intervention versus observation alone. Our objective for this study was to determine risk factors from the physical examination, computed tomography scan, and laboratory results associated with intervention for liver laceration.

We performed a retrospective cohort study using data from the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Intra-abdominal Injuries Study public use data set. Data were collected prospectively at the time of enrollment; a limited data set was released for public use in 2014. Patients were included if they were diagnosed with a liver laceration by computed tomography scan. We used bivariable and multivariable analyses to determine associations of specific risk factors with intervention, defined as laparotomy, angiographic embolization, blood transfusion, death, or return to emergency department for any reason within 30 days.

Of the 12,044 patients in the Intra-abdominal Injuries Study, 282 were diagnosed with a liver laceration. All patients were hospitalized, and 99 (35.1%) underwent an intervention. Variables were then eliminated if more than 10% of cases were missing data. Multivariable logistic regression identified the following independent risk factors for intervention: white blood cell count greater than 15 K/mcl (adjusted odds ratio [adjOR], 2.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.43-5.63), pelvic fracture (adjOR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.02-6.10), liver injury greater than grade 2 (adjOR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.06-4.40), Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 15 (adjOR, 4.77; 95% CI, 2.27-7.63), and hematocrit less than 32% (adjOR, 4.79; 95% CI, 2.00-11.46).

We identified 5 high-risk criteria associated with intervention for traumatic liver laceration in pediatric patients. Prospective studies are necessary to validate these results before using them to determine disposition of pediatric patients with traumatic liver injuries.