Experience with Blunt Pancreatic Trauma at Eulji University Hospital

Yang, Seung Hyun; Mun, Yun Su; Kwon, Oh Sang; Lee, Min Koo

Abstract

PURPOSE
Traumatic pancreatic injury is not common in abdominal trauma injury. However, the morbidity and the mortality rates of patients with pancreatic injury, which are related with difficulties of initial assessment, establishment of diagnosis, and treatment are relatively high. The aim of this study is to review our institution's experience and suggest a diagnosis and therapeutic algorithm for use in cases involving traumatic pancreatic injury.
METHODS
Eighteen(18) patients with blunt pancreatic injury from January, 2004 to October 2012 were included in this study. We analyzed treatment and diagnosis method, other organ injury, treatment interval, hospital stay and complications retrospectively.
RESULTS
Nine patients were treated with conservative medication and another nine patients were treated surgically. Complications occurred in nine patients, and one patient died due to intraventricular hemorrhage and subdural hemorrhage with multiple organ failure. Delayed surgery was performed in three cases. The early and delayed surgery groups showed difference in hospital stay and intensive care unit stay. Delayed surgery was associated with a longer hospital stay (p=0.007) than immediate surgery.
CONCLUSION
In blunt pancreatic trauma, proper early diagnosis and prompt treatment are recommended necessity. Based on this review of our experience, we also suggest the adoption of our institution's algorithm for cases involving traumatic pancreatic injury.