Evaluation, management, and hospital outcome of cases presented with blunt abdominal trauma to rozhalat emergency hospital, Erbil, Iraq

Abstract

Background: Abdominal trauma, both penetrating and blunt, is a major public health concern worldwide. Trauma, especially abdominal trauma is increasing due to urbanization and industrialization including road traffic accidents. To decrease morbidity and mortality rate from intra-abdominal organ injury as a result of blunt abdominal trauma (BAT), physicians have to have a high suspicious of organ injury in any case presented with BAT because any delay in the diagnosis conversely affects the prognosis of the patient. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the number of patients who had surgical operative intervention because of BAT, to investigate the mortality rate among patients with abdominal trauma, and to determine the hospital outcome of BAT. Materials and Methods: This was an observational retrospective study of 60 cases during 1-year duration (2016–2017) at Rozhalat Emergency Hospital, Erbil, Kurdistan region of Iraq. Results: 48 cases were( male 80%), 12 were( female 20%), with a male to female ratio of 4:1, and the mean age was 24,80. Majority of cases (36/60) were managed conservatively, while 24 cases had surgery. The overall majority of cases (50/60) had a good outcome discharged home safely but 10 cases died. The most common intra-abdominal organ injury was the spleen. Conclusions: Most cases were managed conservatively, with overall mortality rate of 16.7%, all the mortality (10/60) was among the operated cases (24/60) cases.

Keywords

• abdomen
• blunt
• conservative
• traffic accident
• trauma