Management of Blunt Splenic Injuries in Children – a Prospective Study

Abstract

The spleen is one of the most vulnerable organs in case of abdominal trauma. Nonoperative management of splenic trauma is successfully applied in children, but there is no standardized protocol for using this type of treatment. We performed a prospective study started in 2013, including by now 10 patients, mean age 10.7 years (2-15 years), admitted to the Children’s Hospital of Brasov. The spleen was preserved in all patients and in 90% of the cases nonoperative management was successfully applied. The study also revealed the importance and the limitations of imaging methods (ultrasound and computed tomography) in selecting and monitoring patients with spleen injuries.