Mortality and morbidity of pancreatic injury

Pancreatic trauma, regardless of etiology, has been consistently associated with a mortality of 20 percent and enormous morbidity. Twenty-five pancreatic injuries, including four solitary wounds of the pancreas, were analyzed to determine why pancreatic trauma should have such an adverse prognosis. Eleven patients were victims of blunt trauma and fourteen sustained gunshot wounds. There were no stab wounds. The important determinants of mortality were associated injuries to major vessels, wounds of the head of the gland, and failure to adequately control leaking exocrine secretion. All four deaths were directly related to massive hemorrhage; in two instances leakage of pancreatic juice was also implicated. With the exception of benign solitary blunt wounds of the pancreas to the body of the gland immediately ventral to the spinal column, an injury of the pancreas is evidence that the abdomen has been subjected to severe trauma, which predisposes the patient to a high mortality and morbidity. The pancreatic injury, interacting with other abdominal injuries, is likely to be a cause of significant mortality and to result in complications that will prolong the patient's hospitalization.