title: [Liver trauma. Description of a cohort and evaluation of therapeutic options].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complex liver injuries carry high morbidity and mortality ranging between 40 and 80%.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the characteristics of patients with liver trauma in the intensive care unit of our hospital, and the causes, severity scales, diagnoses, and treatments of these injuries, as well as length of hospital stay, morbidity and mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the patients with liver trauma admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) from January 2000 to December 2005. There were two groups of patients: those who underwent surgery and those who received conservative treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Univariate analysis revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups in the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score on admission to the ICU, the Injury Severity Score (ISS), and the percentage of severelesions according to the Liver Injury Scale (LIS), as well as in the coexistence of lesions in the large intestine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the statistical point of view, the two main variables guiding the therapeutic approach were hemodynamic instability and the need for transfusion. The indication for surgery showed a clear, although non-significant, association with mortality. Lastly, there was an association between the surgical option of packing and mortality.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Cantabria, España. jandro120475@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Castro
authors.forename: Borja
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Suberviola Cañas
authors.forename: María Soledad
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Holanda Peña
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ots
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Domínguez Artiga
authors.forename: María Angeles
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ballesteros
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy