title: Liver trauma in 446 patients.
abstract: A total of 446 patients with liver trauma were treated over a 10-year period: 295 (66%) had penetrating injuries (204 stab wounds, 91 gunshot wounds) and 151 (34%) blunt trauma. Seventeen patients died during resuscitation before laparotomy. In 344 (80%) of the 429 patients who underwent laparotomy, injuries were managed by simple methods such as temporary packing, diathermy, sutures or vessel ligation. Eighty-five patients (18%) had complex injuries and underwent one or more of the following procedures to control bleeding: hepatotomy and intrahepatic vessel suture (28), resectional debridement (31), lobar resection (17), perihepatic packing and relaparotomy (25), total hepatic isolation (4) or atriocaval shunt (1). Overall mortality was 54 (12.1%) and was greatest after blunt injury (27%) compared with gunshot (11%) and stab wounds (2%). Mortality was directly attributable to the abdominal injury in 39 patients, 22 of whom died from uncontrolled haemorrhage. Complications occurred in 151 of 392 survivors (38.5%) and correlated with type and severity of the liver injury (31% in stab wounds, 43% in gunshot wounds, 57% in blunt injuries) and the number of associated injuries. As many as 80% of liver injuries can be managed by simple surgical techniques. In major liver injuries perihepatic packing may be life-saving, allowing control of bleeding before a logical sequential strategy is instituted to isolate and repair the injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Cape Town.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Krige
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Bornman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terblanche
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008099:Liver / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D011182:Postoperative Care; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D014948:Wounds, Gunshot / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D014951:Wounds, Stab / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery