title: Place of arterial embolization in severe blunt hepatic trauma: a multidisciplinary approach.
abstract: This study evaluates the efficacy of arterial embolization (AE) for blunt hepatic traumas (BHT) as part of a combined management strategy based on the hemodynamic status of patients and CT findings. From 2000 to 2005, 84 patients were admitted to our hospital for BHT. Of these, 14 patients who had high-grade injuries (grade III [n = 2], grade IV [n = 9], grade V [n = 3]) underwent AE because of arterial bleeding and were included in the study. They were classified into three groups according to their hemodynamic status: (1) unresponsive shock, (2) shock improved with resuscitation, and (3) hemodynamic stability. Four patients (group 1) underwent, first, laparotomy with packing and, then, AE for persistent bleeding. Ten patients who were hemodynamically stable (group 1) or even unstable (group 2) underwent AE first, based on CT findings. AE was successful in all cases. The mortality rate was 7% (1/14). Only two angiography-related complications (gallbladder infarction) were reported. Liver-related complications (abdominal compartment syndrome and biliary complications) were frequent and often required secondary interventions. Our multidisciplinary approach for the management of BHT gives a main role to embolization, even for hemodynamically unstable patients. In this strategy AE is very efficient and has a low complication rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, CHU A. Michallon, La Tronche, BP 217, Grenoble, 38043, France. val_monnin@yahoo.fr
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Monnin
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sengel
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thony
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bricault
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Voirin
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Letoublon
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Broux
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ferretti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D012151:Resuscitation / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality* / Q000628:therapy*; D055815:Young Adult