Splenic injuries : a prospective study

Abstract EN

A total of 85 patients with splenic injuries were treated in 4 hospitals (Imara military hospital, Hammad shihab military hospital, Al-Rasheed military teaching hospital, and Al-Kindy teaching hospital) between May 1992 and April 2006.

Age of the patients ranged from 8 to 72 years with average of 34.5 years.

Male predominated, with female to male ratio (F:M) was 1: 4.

The most commonly affected age group was 21-30 years.

Penetrating injuries constituted (58.8%), blunt trauma constituted (9.4%), while (31.8%) of splenic injuries was due to penetrating and blunt trauma caused by explosive injury.

Bullet injury (gunshot) was the most common cause of splenic injuries.

Automobile accidents were the most common cause of blunt trauma to spleen.

(14.1%) had isolated splenic injury.

(78.8%) had associated abdominal injuries, while extraabdominal injuries were found in (43.5%).

(80%) of the penetrating injuries had associated abdominal injuries.

Blunt splenic trauma was associated with other serious abdominal injuries in (37.5%).

Explosive injuries of the spleen were associated with other serious abdominal injuries in (88.9%).

The most common associated injured abdominal organs were the mesentery (38.8%), stomach (37.6%), small bowel (36.5%), and liver (35.3%).

Wound infection was the most common post operative complication (15.2%), and next to it was incisional hernia (7%).

The mortality rate was (7%,).

The percentage of overwhelming post splenectomy sepsis (OPSS) was zero.