Traumatic pancreatitis: long-term review of initial non-operative management in children.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the safety and long-term efficacy of an initial non-operative approach to the management of pancreatic trauma in children.


METHODS
Retrospective case-note review of children admitted to our institution with the diagnosis of pancreatic trauma over a 10-year period from 1985 to 1994 inclusive.


RESULTS
Fourteen children were identified with a diagnosis of traumatic pancreatitis. Eleven of the injuries were secondary to motor vehicle accidents or trauma from a bicycle handlebar. In seven patients there were associated intra-abdominal injuries and in eight patients the traumatic pancreatitis was complicated by development of a pseudocyst. Three pseudocysts settled without intervention, two resolved with percutaneous external drainage and the remaining three required open surgery. The mean in-patient stay was 21.2 days. The average length of follow-up was 7.7 years with no observed long-term complications.


CONCLUSIONS
Non-operative management of traumatic pancreatitis in the absence of complete duct transection is safe in children and does not appear to be associated with adverse sequelae.
Holland
A J
AJ
Department of Paediatric Surgery, Women's and Children's Hospital, North Adelaide, Australia.
Davey
R B
RB
Sparnon
A L
AL
Chapman
M
M
LeQuesne
G W
GW
D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D001642:Bicycling / Q000293:injuries; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000293:injuries*; D010192:Pancreatic Pseudocyst / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome