title: Inferior vena cava injuries--a continuing challenge.
abstract: The mortality from abdominal vena cava trauma remains in excess of 33% despite advances in prehospital and intraoperative care. During the 7-year period ending December 1981, 58 patients with vena cava injuries were treated at our institution. Thirty-nine (67%) were due to gunshot wounds, nine to stab injuries, and ten to blunt trauma. Overall mortality was 38%. Predictors of poor survival were: 1) presence of shock upon hospital arrival; 2) multiple abdominal vascular injuries; and 3) injuries in the retrohepatic segment. Only two (17%) of 12 patients survived retrohepatic wounds despite various shunting techniques. Of the remaining 12 deaths, 11 (92%) had associated major vascular trauma that included four portal system, three aortic, and three iliac artery injuries. This contrasts to a 96% survival rate for the 28 patients without associated abdominal vascular injuries. Our experience underscores the importance of rapid resuscitation, early operation, and searching for associated vascular injuries before a time-consuming repair of the vena cava is undertaken. Improving the survival of patients with blunt retrohepatic cava and hepatic vein trauma remains a dilemma.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001808:Blood Vessels / Q000293:injuries; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012769:Shock / Q000209:etiology; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000150:complications; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000150:complications