Abdominal trauma during thirty years: analysis of a large case series

Studies have been made in 1407 patients of the causes, the organs involved and the outcome of injury to the abdomen in patients needing admission to hospital in an area of Southern Sweden, between 1950 and the end of 1979. The proportion of female patients and those aged over 60 increased significantly. The seasonal distribution of the injuries showed significant change, with a drop in the initially high frequency sustained during the summer months. Penetrating injuries were rare, but increased in the 1970s. Road traffic accidents as the cause of abdominal injuries rose to a maximum of 56 per cent in the late 1960s. The numbers of injured organs and the frequency of other associated injuries rose gradually until the mid-1970s, after which there was a slight decrease. The spleen, liver and large blood vessels were the organs which were increasingly often injured. The annual incidence of various visceral injuries per 100 000 population was calculated. The number of patients with a delay of at least 24 hours before operation fell significantly and there was a tendency to shorter hospital stay. The mortality curve showed a peak in the late 1960s.