[Postoperative treatment of liver injuries in the surgical intensive care unit]

Personal experience in the postoperative treatment of patients with liver traumas is reported, and a comparison is made between those treated in ordinary wards and those admitted to intensive care units. The latter had shorter stays (24 days as opposed to 40) and fewer postoperative complications, assuming a comparable picture of preoperative shock and associated lesions. The difference is attributed to the possibility offered by such units of providing closer surveillance and more rational management.