Non-Operative Management for Renal and Splenic Trauma – A Case Report

Abstract

Management of abdominal trauma has evolved over the past decades and most of trauma patients can be managed conservatively. This article demonstrates the effectiveness of non-operative management (NOM) in a patient with grade IV renal trauma and grade II splenic trauma that was treated in the urology department of Emergency Clinical County Hospital of Brasov after a car crash. Clinical examination showed bruises on the right shoulder and macroscopic haematuria that suggest renal trauma. The abdomen was spontaneously painles, no signs of acute abdomen but severe pain in the left lumbar area, with no additional relevant medical history. The CT scan revealed laceration of the valvular area of the left kidney, spleen contusion and retroperitoneal haematoma with contrast spreading in the iliopsoas muscle region, classifying renal trauma as stage IV and splenic trauma as stage II on American Association for the Surgery of Trauma injury scale. The trauma is classified as serious with an Injury Severity Score of 18, and Resciniti CT score of 2, therefore NOM is recommended. Despite high grade trauma, the patient was haemodynamically stable, with a heart rate of 90 bpm, blood pressure of 105/65 mmHg and haemoglobin of 10.4g/dl. Under constant observation and with the help of a multidisciplinary team, the therapeutic focus was directed on local protocol consisting of pharmacological treatment with fluid resuscitation, antibiotic therapy, analgesics, haemostatics, anticoagulant therapy and multiple blood transfusions consisting of fresh frozen plasma and packed red blood cells. Starting with day 6, the haemoglobin levels normalized, no further blood transfusion beeing necessary. The patient was discharged and didn’t developed complications in the following 6 months. The NOM in the case of grade IV renal trauma and a grade II splenic trauma is effective, provided the patients are haemodynamically stable and constant reevaluations are performed.