Conservative management of splenic injury in the tropics

Abstract

We undertook this study in order to determine whether the conservative management of splenic injuries is a safe practice in a low-volume tropical hospital. We evaluated 69 consecutive patients with splenic injury prospectively. The outcome measures were morbidity and mortality rates, overall hospital stay and blood transfusion requirements. Spleen preservation was achieved in 85% (59) of cases. Of the 16 patients who underwent splenic surgery, six had splenorraphy (38%). The overall mortality was 4.3% (3) and the deaths were not related to the conservative management. Our findings suggest that not only is the conservative management of splenic injuries safe, but also that the repair of an enlarged spleen (splenorrhaphy) is safe and feasible in tropical hospital settings. The findings in this study provide further evidence that the conservative management of splenic injury in a tropical hospital without computed tomography scan is a safe practice.