Evolution in the management of hepatic trauma: A 25-year perspective

Objective To define the changes in demographics of liver injury during the past 25 years and to document the impact of treatment changes on death rate s. Summary Background Data No study has presented a long-term review of a larg e series of hepatic injuries, documenting the effect of treatment changes o n outcome. A 25-year review from a concurrently collected database of liver injuries documented changes in treatment and outcome. Methods A database of hepatic injuries from 1975 to 1999 was studied for ch anges in demographics, treatment patterns, and outcome. Factors potentially responsible for outcome differences were examined. Results A total of 1,842 liver injuries were treated. Blunt injuries have d ramatically increased; the proportion of major injuries is approximately 16 % annually. Nonsurgical therapy is now used in more than 80% of blunt injur ies. The death rates from both blunt and penetrating trauma have improved s ignificantly through each successive decade of the study. The improved deat h rates are due to decreased death from hemorrhage. Factors responsible inc lude fewer major venous injuries requiring surgery, improved outcome with v ein injuries, better results with packing, and effective arterial hemorrhag e control with arteriographic embolization. Conclusions The treatment and outcome of liver injuries have changed dramat ically in 25 years. Multiple modes of therapy are available for hemorrhage control, which has improved outcome.