BACKGROUND: Splenic injuries are common solid organ injuries resulting from blunt abdominal trauma in road traffic accidents. Very often, splenic injuries can be life-threatening. Earlier, splenic injuries were often dealt with surgical intervention, such as splenectomy. With the recognition of the immunological function of the spleen and possible complications of splenectomy surgery, such as overwhelming post-splenectomy infections (OPSI), there has been a recent trend for non-operative management (NOM).
OBJECTIVE: To study the variables predicting failure of NOM in blunt abdominal trauma patients with splenic injury.
METHODS: This is a retrospective study that includes 235 patients who presented to the Safdarjung Hospital emergency room (New Delhi, India) with blunt trauma abdomen and splenic injuries with or without associated injuries between January 2019 and December 2021. The data was entered in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA). Categorical variables were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Pearson\'s chi-square test of association was used to determine if there is a relationship between two variables. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS: Out of 235 patients with blunt abdominal trauma and splenic injuries, 82 were hemodynamically unstable despite resuscitation and were taken up for emergency laparotomy. The remaining 153 patients, who were either hemodynamically stable or stabilized after adequate resuscitation, were managed on the lines of NOM. The number of patients with splenic injury in AAST grades 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 was 36, 50, 40, 24, and three, respectively. Out of 153 patients, 130 (85%) were successfully managed by NOM, while eight (5%) had to discontinue NOM as they required surgical intervention. The failure of NOM (fNOM) is seen mostly with grade 5 injuries (2/2, 100%, p<0.01), followed by grade 4 (4/20, 20%) and grade 3 (2/37, 5.7%). The mean age in fNOM was 58.3 years, as compared to 42.2 years in the success of NOM (sNOM). All eight patients had multiple concomitant injuries, with femur fracture being the most common association in up to six patients (p<0.01), followed by liver injury in four patients. There were 15 mortalities, irrespective of AAST severity grade. All of these patients had associated concomitant injuries, with intracranial bleeding (n = 10, 32%, p<0.01) being the most common association, followed by femur fracture (n = 6, 20%) and liver injury (n = 5, 16%). Also, the cause of death was unrelated to splenic trauma (p = 0.67), with pulmonary embolism (n = 6, 40%, p<0.01) being the most common cause, followed by brain stem herniation (n = 5, 34%).
CONCLUSIONS: Non-operative management is a safe and efficient method for treating patients with splenic injuries who are hemodynamically stable or stabilized. The factors associated with fNOM include elderly age, a higher American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grade of splenic injury, and associated concomitant injuries. Femur fracture was the most common concomitant injury present in cases where NOM failed, followed by liver injury. The presence of intracranial bleeds in these patients was a common association with mortality, irrespective of the grade of splenic injury.

Introduction  This study analyzes barriers to the adoption of emergency laparoscopy (EL), safety, and accessibility in a low-resource setting of a low- and middle-income country (LMIC). Methods  In this prospective observational study, patients with blunt trauma abdomen (BTA) who required exploration were included and divided into two groups-open exploration (open surgery [OSx]) and laparoscopic exploration (laparoscopic surgery [LSx]). Data were compiled and analyzed. Results  Out of 94 BTA patients, 66 required exploration, and the rest were managed conservatively. Out of 66 patients, 42 were in OSx and 24 were in LSx, reason for not selecting LSx was the surgeon\'s preference for OSx in 26 patients and the lack of availability of operation theater (OT) slots in 16 patients. LSx even after indication was less likely if patients had preoperative evidence of perforation peritonitis. Conclusion  Lack of resources (OT availability and trained personnel) are barriers to the adoption of emergency LSx in low-resource settings.

Post-traumatic diaphragmatic injuries can present as diaphragmatic hernia with herniation of abdominal viscera into the thoracic cavity. It is challenging for trauma surgeons to identify the delayed presentation of post-traumatic diaphragmatic injuries which require a high index of suspicion in patients who are at risk. We report a rare case of delayed diagnosis and management of post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia in a polytrauma patient with a concise review of the literature. The patient presented after two years of post-traumatic thoracoabdominal injury due to a road traffic accident with breathing difficulty. On investigations, it was a large diaphragmatic hernia with herniation of abdominal contents into the left thoracic cavity. Laparotomy was performed with a reduction of abdominal contents from the left side of the chest along with mesh repair of the large diaphragmatic hernia. Postoperatively, the patient recovered well. The literature suggests that there should be a high level of suspicion of diaphragmatic injuries, especially when dealing with thoracoabdominal trauma or polytrauma patients. Post-traumatic diaphragmatic injuries, though rare, can lead to high morbidity or mortality if not treated on time.

Duodenal injury following blunt abdominal trauma is extremely rare in children and many times, it has delayed presentation, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. A patient with complete duodenal transaction is a surgical challenge and management involves the time of presentation and extent of visceral damage. A 10-year-old boy was brought with features of bowel perforation after road traffic accident and underwent emergency laparotomy which revealed complete transaction of duodenum at D1 and D2 and pyloroduodenal junction extending toward lesser curvature. Primary closure of pyloroduodenal junction and D1-D2 was done with omental patch along with triple tube decompression (cholecystostomy, gastrostomy, and jejunostomy). The patient had an uneventful recovery. Primary closure of disturbed ends with triple diversion is a safe approach in young children with complete duodenal transaction in absence of gross peritoneal contamination and early presentation.

OBJECTIVE: Pancreas is a less commonly injured organ in blunt abdominal trauma. This study aimed to analyze the management and outcomes of patients in whom the pancreatic injury was missed during the initial evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma.
METHODS: We retrospectively (2009-2019) analyzed the details and outcome of patients who underwent conservative management of blunt abdominal trauma, where the diagnosis of pancreatic injury was missed for at least 72 hours following trauma.
RESULTS: A total of 31 patients with missed pancreatic injury were identified. All patients were hemodynamically stable following trauma and most (21) were initially assessed only by an ultrasound. A delayed diagnosis of pancreatic injury was made at a mean of 28 (4 to 60) days after trauma when patients developed abdominal pain (31), distension (18), fever (10) or vomiting (8). On repeat imaging, 18 (58.1%) patients had high grade pancreatic injuries including complete transection or pancreatic duct injury. Seven (22.5%) patients were managed conservatively, seventeen (54.8%) underwent percutaneous drainage of intra-abdominal collections, seven (22.5%) underwent endoscopic or surgical drainage procedure for symptomatic pseudocyst. Eleven (35.4%) patients needed readmissions to manage recurrent pancreatitis, intra-abdominal abscess and pancreatic fistula. Three patients required pancreatic duct stenting for pancreatic fistula. There was no mortality.
CONCLUSIONS: Pancreatic injury may be missed in patients who remain hemodynamically stable with minimal clinical symptoms after abdominal trauma, especially if screened only by an ultrasound. In our series, there was significant morbidity of missed pancreatic injury.

Meckel\'s diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. Most of the patients are asymptomatic and very few develop symptoms. Hemorrhage, obstruction, perforation, and inflammation are the complications that can occur in an MD. Even though hollow viscus perforation is common, perforation of the MD following blunt abdominal trauma is rare. We report a case of perforation of the MD in a 60-year-old man following a blunt abdominal trauma due to a fall from a bike, which was diagnosed promptly and managed successfully by timely operative intervention.

BACKGROUND: Despite the acceptance of non-operative management (NOM), there is no consensus on the optimal length of hospital stay in patients with blunt liver and splenic injury (BLSI). Recent studies on pediatric patients have demonstrated the safety of early discharge following NOM for BLSI. We aimed at evaluating the feasibility and safety of early discharge in adult patients with BLSI following NOM in a randomized controlled trial.
METHODS: After initial assessment and management, patients aged 18-60 years with BLSI planned for NOM were randomized into 2 groups: Group A (test group; discharge day 3), and Group B (control group; discharge day 5). Standard NOM protocol was followed. These patients were discharged on the proposed day if they met the pre-defined discharge criteria. All patients were followed at days 7, 15, and 30 of discharge.
RESULTS: Sixty patients were recruited, 30 randomized to each arm. Most patients were males and aged less than 30 years. Road traffic injury was the most common mode of injury. Both groups were comparable in demography and injury-related parameters. 27 patients (90%) from group A and 28 patients (93%) from group B were discharged on the proposed day. Three patients had unplanned hospital visits for reasons unrelated to BLSI. All patients were asymptomatic and had a normal examination during their scheduled follow-up visits.
CONCLUSIONS: Adult patients undergoing NOM for BLSI can be safely discharged after 48 h of in-hospital observation, provided other injuries precluding discharge do not exist.

Diaphragmatic hernia (DH) is a common condition following blunt trauma to upper abdomen and is also a commonly missed diagnosis. Its early anticipation in post-traumatic setting is very important to avoid any further life-threatening sequelae. X-ray chest with a nasogastric tube is a simpler way to diagnose this condition. CT scan is a gold standard tool to confirm diagnosis. Due to wide availability of ultrasound (US) in emergency room (ER), this tool will decide the correct way of further evaluation avoiding unnecessary delays in management. We present a case of a diaphragmatic hernia followed by blunt injury abdomen with multiple herniated abdominal contents successfully managed by early intervention.

Isolated small bowel perforation is a rare presentation of blunt abdominal trauma, and most cases present immediately following the trauma. Delayed presentation of such cases beyond one week of trauma is extremely rare, and various pathophysiological mechanisms were described for the same. We present a 20-year-old male patient who sustained blunt abdominal and pelvic trauma, underwent open reduction and internal fixation for right acetabular fracture, and later developed features of acute peritonitis after one month. On laparotomy, complete terminal ileal transection was found and an ileostomy was done. Delayed perforation of the intestine following trauma occurs due to ischemic necrosis, either through direct trauma to the intestinal wall or indirectly by injury to the mesenteric vessels. Direct trauma to the bowel can result in large hematomas on the bowel wall, which can later perforate due to ischemia. Surgeons should be aware of this rare presentation as the management is challenging and it poses significant medico-legal sequel. Close monitoring of the patient\'s vitals and examination for the development of abdominal signs along with repeat imaging at the onset of abdominal signs are cornerstones for successful management of these patients.

UNASSIGNED: Focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) being a rapid noninvasive examination is used primarily to evaluate for the evidence of traumatic free fluid suggestive of injury in the peritoneal, pericardial, and pleural cavities. It is widely recognized as a mainstream emergency skill in the management of trauma.
UNASSIGNED: The aim of the study is to evaluate the accuracy of FAST in patients presenting with blunt abdominal trauma.
UNASSIGNED: Data were collected prospectively from FAST scans conducted in blunt trauma abdomen (BTA) patients. Positive and negative FAST scans were confirmed either with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) abdomen or with exploratory laparotomy, thus dividing it further into four groups, i.e., true-positive, false-positive, true-negative, and false-negative scans. After collecting the data, accuracy of FAST was calculated.
UNASSIGNED: In this study, a total of 104 patients were included. The mean age was 38.17 years. Most common cause of BTA was road traffic accident. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of FAST were 69.8%, 92.1%, and 80.8%, respectively.
UNASSIGNED: This study showed that FAST is of paramount importance in patients who are hemodynamically unstable as it has a high positive predictive value. However, a FAST-negative result should always be confirmed by other modalities.