Major hepatic trauma: warm ischemic tolerance of the liver after hemorrhagic shock.
BACKGROUND
The management of severe hepatic trauma frequently involves exposing the liver to varying periods of warm ischemia. The ischemic tolerance of the liver, in the setting of hemorrhagic shock (HS) and trauma, is presently unknown. We tested the hypothesis that warm ischemic tolerance of the porcine liver will be decreased following resuscitation from HS.


METHODS
Twenty-three Yorkshire pigs were divided into three groups: 1) hepatic ischemia alone (HI, n = 9); 2) hemorrhagic shock alone (HS, n = 3); and 3) hemorrhagic shock plus hepatic ischemia combined (HSHI, n = 11). Following reperfusion, a liver biopsy was obtained and serial blood chemistries were sampled.


RESULTS
Post-operative day 7 mortality was increased in the HSHI group (7/11) compared to the HI (0/9) group, P = 0.038. Notably, deaths did not result from acute liver failure, but rather from intra-operative hemodynamic collapse shortly following hepatic reperfusion. In addition, the HSHI group experienced significantly elevated lactic acid, serum creatinine and liver enzyme levels. Analysis of the liver biopsy samples is consistent with a more severe liver injury in the HSHI group.


CONCLUSIONS
The warm ischemic tolerance of the liver following resuscitation from HS is significantly decreased in this porcine model compared to HS or HI alone. Mortality was associated with acute intra-operative hemodynamic collapse occurring shortly after hepatic reperfusion.
Perdrizet
George A
GA
Departments of EMS/Trauma, Surgery, and Pathology, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut 06102, USA. gperdri@harthosp.org
Giles
David L
DL
Dring
Robert
R
Agarwal
Suresh K
SK
Khwaja
Khalid
K
Gao
Yuan Z
YZ
Geary
Michael
M
Cowell
Vernon L
VL
Berman
Martin
M
Brautigam
Robert
R
D000208:Acute Disease; D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000503:physiopathology; D000818:Animals; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007511:Ischemia / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008102:Liver Circulation; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics; D012151:Resuscitation; D012771:Shock, Hemorrhagic / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D034421:Sus scrofa; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
D019344:Lactic Acid; D003404:Creatinine; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases