TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2020//
TI  - Role of conservative management in low energy transfer penetrating shotgun abdominal injuries
JO  - Trauma (Sage)
A1  - Yehia Elbarmelgi, Mohamed
A1  - AbdAllah Salman, Mohammed
SP  - 307
EP  - 311
VL  - 22
IS  - 4
N2  - Background and aimsPenetrating abdominal trauma can be caused by a variety of weapons which require different management protocols. After a long era of mandatory laparotomy for abdominal gunshot wounds, the concept of selective laparotomy and conservative management in the form of serial observations has been introduced in some centers. This study aims to assess the feasibility and safety of conservative management and close observation of victims of low energy transfer shotgun penetrating abdominal injury.<br><br>METHODSA prospective cohort study of hemodynamically stable patients who had sustained low energy transfer shotgun injuries to the abdomen who presented to the surgical emergency department of Cairo University Hospitals from May 2016 to January 2019. They were subjected to a conservative management and follow-up protocol.<br><br>RESULTSA total of 250 patients (167 males and 83 females) were included. The conservative management protocol was successful in 217/250 patients (86.8%), unsuccessful in 22 patients (8.8%) where abdominal exploration was done either open or laparoscopically. Delayed diagnosis of bowel injury occurred in one patient (0.4%). There was one death (0.4%) and abdominal exploration was negative in 10 (4%) patients.<br><br>CONCLUSIONWe recommend this conservative protocol for the victims of low energy transfer penetrating shotgun injuries which may save many patients from the morbidities of unnecessary laparotomy. We accept that the injury pattern may not be sufficiently common in many countries to allow comfort with this non-operative approach.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1460-4086
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1460408620916630
ID  - ref1
ER  -