title: A 9-year experience of renal injury at an Australian level 1 trauma centre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To detail the 9-year experience of renal trauma at a modern Level 1 trauma centre and report on patterns of injury, management and complications.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed 338 patients with renal injuries who presented to our institution over a 9-year period. Data on demographics, clinical presentation, management and complications were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Males comprised 74.9% of patients with renal injuries and the highest incidence was amongst those aged 20-24 years. Blunt injuries comprised 96.2% (n = 325) of all the renal injuries, with road trauma being the predominant mechanism accounting for 72.5% of injuries. The distribution of injury grade was; 21.6% grade 1 (n = 73), 24.3% grade 2 (n = 82), 24.9% grade 3 (n = 84), 16.6% grade 4 (n = 56), and 12.7% grade 5 (n = 43). Conservative management was successful in all grade 1 and 2 renal injuries, and 94.9%, 90.7% and 35.1% of grade 3, 4 and 5 injuries respectively. All but one of the 13 patients with penetrating injuries were successfully managed conservatively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Road trauma is the greatest cause of renal injury. Most haemodynamically stable patients are successfully managed conservatively.
authors: Department of Urology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.
authors: Jennifer J
authors: JJ
authors: Shoobridge
authors: Matthew F
authors: MF
authors: Bultitude
authors: Jim
authors: J
authors: Koukounaras
authors: Katherine E
authors: KE
authors: Martin
authors: Peter L
authors: PL
authors: Royce
authors: Niall M
authors: NM
authors: Corcoran
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: blunt injuries; emergencies; kidney; management; penetrating; wounds