Pattern Of Visceral Injuries In Abdominal Trauma In An Urban Tertiary Center

Abstract

Background: Abdominal trauma management is a significant component of health care services provided by general surgeons in our centre. This is as a result of the increasing incidence of interpersonal and sectarian violence and also road traffic accidents. It has significant morbidity and mortality and this is worrisome because of the preventable nature of the causes of trauma.
Objective: To identify the pattern of visceral injuries following abdominal trauma in our tertiary centre in order to improve outcome and protocol of care
Patients and methods: This is a prospective study of all consecutive patients with abdominal trauma presenting over 12 calendar  months. Demographic data, injury mechanism, injury presentation time, treatment, operation findings, operation and outcomes were documented.
Results: Altogether there were 66 males and 10  females with an average age of 32.9+10.1 and age range of 15-66 years. Thirty-one patients (40.2%) had blunt abdominal trauma while forty-five (59.8%) had penetrating trauma. The most commonly injured organs were small bowel (47%) in penetrating and the spleen (37%) in blunt. There was a morbidity rate of 43.42% and mortality rate of 8%.
Conclusion: Road traffic accidents and gunshots were the commonest causes of blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma respectively. The spleen was the most commonly injured visceral organ in blunt trauma while the small bowel was the most commonly injured
in penetrating trauma. Mortality from blunt abdominal injury was more than those from penetrating injuries. Delayed presentation and the presence of extraabdominal injuries increased the likelihood of mortality.