Article Sidebar
Article Details
Issue
Section
Articles
Material submitted for publication in the South African Medical Journal (SAMJ) is accepted provided it has not been published elsewhere. Copyright forms will be sent with acknowledgement of receipt and the SAMJ reserves copyright of the material published. The SAMJ does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors.
Main Article Content
Predicting mortality in damage control surgery for major abdominal trauma
Abstract
Background. Damage control surgery (DCS) has become
well established in the past decade as the surgical strategy
to be employed in the unstable trauma patient. The aim of
this study was to determine which factors played a predictive
role in determining mortality in patients undergoing a damage
control laparotomy.
Materials and methods. A retrospective review of all patients
undergoing a laparotomy and DCS in a level 1 trauma centre over a 3-year period was performed. Twenty-nine potentially predictive variables for mortality were analysed.
Results. Of a total of 1 274 patients undergoing a laparotomy
for trauma, 74 (6%) required a damage control procedure.
The mean age was 28 years (range 14 - 53 years). The mechanism of injury was gunshot wounds in 57 cases (77%), blunt trauma in 14 (19%) and stabs in 3 (4%). Twenty patients died, giving an overall mortality rate of 27%. Factors significantly associated with increased mortality were increasing age (p=0.001), low base excess (p=0.002), pH (p<0.001), core temperature (p=0.002), and high blood transfusion requirement over 24 hours (p=0.002).
Conclusion. The overall survival of patients after damage
control procedures for abdominal trauma was excellent (73%). The main factors that are useful in deciding when to initiate DCS are age, base excess, pH and the core temperature.
well established in the past decade as the surgical strategy
to be employed in the unstable trauma patient. The aim of
this study was to determine which factors played a predictive
role in determining mortality in patients undergoing a damage
control laparotomy.
Materials and methods. A retrospective review of all patients
undergoing a laparotomy and DCS in a level 1 trauma centre over a 3-year period was performed. Twenty-nine potentially predictive variables for mortality were analysed.
Results. Of a total of 1 274 patients undergoing a laparotomy
for trauma, 74 (6%) required a damage control procedure.
The mean age was 28 years (range 14 - 53 years). The mechanism of injury was gunshot wounds in 57 cases (77%), blunt trauma in 14 (19%) and stabs in 3 (4%). Twenty patients died, giving an overall mortality rate of 27%. Factors significantly associated with increased mortality were increasing age (p=0.001), low base excess (p=0.002), pH (p<0.001), core temperature (p=0.002), and high blood transfusion requirement over 24 hours (p=0.002).
Conclusion. The overall survival of patients after damage
control procedures for abdominal trauma was excellent (73%). The main factors that are useful in deciding when to initiate DCS are age, base excess, pH and the core temperature.
