Conservative Management of Splenic Injury in Blunt Abdominal Trauma: A Single Center Experience

Road traffic accidents are the greatest cause of death worldwide. Most intra-abdominal injuries caused by blunt abdominal trauma have been treated surgically for a very long period. Over the past few decades, conservative care has gained in popularity and effectiveness as a treatment choice for blunt abdominal trauma.

To determine the efficacy of conservative management in patients suffering from splenic injury in blunt abdominal trauma.

The study included 62 cases of blunt abdominal trauma treated non-operatively in the general surgery department of the Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar between June 2021 and December 2022.

Minimal hemoperitoneum was observed in 47 (75.8%) cases, moderate hemoperitoneum was noted in 11 (17.7%) cases, and 4 (6.4%) patients didn't have free fluid in the abdomen. There was no massive hemoperitoneum among the study patients. No major complications were observed during the study period. Only 7 (11.3%) cases develop minimal pleural effusion while 2 (3.2%) patients developed splenic abscess. Mortality was observed in only 1 (1.6%) case.

Conservative management is a safe and efficient strategy and should be considered as a first line of treatment for all hemodynamically stable patients who suffered blunt splenic injury.