title: Trauma associated splenic artery aneurysms: an analysis of the National Trauma Data Bank.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Trauma associated splenic artery aneurysm (SAA) is potentially life threatening and infrequently studied. We evaluated the subject using a large trauma database.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Trauma Data Bank (2002 to 2006) was queried. All patients aged greater than or equal to 18 years with a primary diagnosis of SAA (International Classification of Diseases: Ninth Revision code 442.83) were identified. Data on demographics, injury severity, pre-existing comorbidities, surgical interventions, complications, and mortality were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-four patients were included with a mean age of 40 ± 13 years and 72% were male. Mean Injury Severity Score was 24 ± 12. All patients suffered blunt trauma, and 5% of the patients (n = 6) had systolic blood pressure less than 90 mm Hg on arrival. The most frequent interventions were surgical ligation of aneurysm (45%), bronchoscopy (35%), endovascular procedures (27%), splenectomy (27%), and thoracostomy tube (25%). About 1.7% developed pulmonary collapse. Mean length of stay was 13 days and mortality was 1.6%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Trauma associated SAA has low mortality and most patients require surgical intervention. Pulmonary dysfunction and invasive pulmonary procedures are frequent despite low rate of chest injuries possibly due to anatomic proximity of lung and spleen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Nembhard
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA.
authors.forename: John O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Hwabejire
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Augustine C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Obirieze
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Tolulope A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Oyetunji
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Edward E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Cornwell
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA.
authors.forename: Wendy R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Greene
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Howard University College of Medicine and Howard University Hospital, 2041 Georgia Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20060, USA. Electronic address: ssiram@howard.edu.
authors.forename: Suryanarayana M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Siram
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000783:Aneurysm / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013157:Splenic Artery / Q000293:injuries*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Mortality; Pseudoaneurysm; Splenic artery aneurysm; Trauma; Treatment