European journal of trauma and emergency surgery : official publication of the European Trauma Society
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Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg · Apr 2020
Multicenter Study Observational StudyThe need for red blood cell transfusions in the emergency department as a risk factor for failure of non-operative management of splenic trauma: a multicenter prospective study.
The majority of patients with splenic trauma undergo non-operative management (NOM); around 15% of these cases fail NOM and require surgery. The aim of the current study is to assess whether the hemodynamic status of the patient represents a risk factor for failure of NOM (fNOM) and if this may be considered a relevant factor in the decision-making process, especially in Centers where AE (angioembolization), intensive monitoring and 24-h-operating room are not available. Furthermore, the presence of additional risk factors for fNOM was investigated. ⋯ The current study confirms the contraindication to NOM in case of hemodynamically instability in case of splenic trauma, as indicated by the most recent guidelines; attention should be paid to patients with transient hemodynamic stability, including patients who require transfusion of RBC in the ED. These patients could benefit from AE; in centers where AE, intensive monitoring and an 24-h-operating room are not available, this particular subgroup of patients should probably be treated with operative management.