Conservative Management of Splenic Injury in Blunt Abdominal Trauma: A Single Center Experience

Background: Road traffic accidents are the greatest cause of death worldwide. Most intra-abdominal injuries caused by blunt abdominal trauma have been treated surgically for a very long period. Over the past few decades, conservative care has gained in popularity and effectiveness as a treatment choice for blunt abdominal trauma. Objective: To determine the efficacy of conservative management in patients suffering from splenic injury in blunt abdominal trauma. Methods: The study included 62 cases of blunt abdominal trauma treated non-operatively in the general surgery department of the Hayatabad Medical Complex Peshawar between June 2021 and December 2022. Results: Minimal hemoperitoneum was observed in 47 (75.8%) cases, moderate hemoperitoneum was noted in 11 (17.7%) cases, and 4 (6.4%) patients didn’t have free fluid in the abdomen. There was no massive hemoperitoneum among the study patients. No major complications were observed during the study period. Only 7 (11.3%) cases develop minimal pleural effusion while 2 (3.2%) patients developed splenic abscess. Mortality was observed in only 1 (1.6%) case. Conclusions: Conservative management is a safe and efficient strategy and should be considered as a first line of treatment for all hemodynamically stable patients who suffered blunt splenic injury.