Management of major blunt liver injury at Hartford Hospital: a ten-year review.

The purpose of this study was to describe the management of patients at Hartford Hospital with major blunt liver injuries. The medical records of patients admitted to Hartford Hospital between January 1, 2000 through January 31, 2010 with blunt trauma that resulted in a laceration with significant hepatic disruption were reviewed. One hundred forty-eight patients were identified from the Trauma Registry. Of those, 133 patient records were examined. Twenty-one patients (15.8%) died in the emergency department and three were transferred to other facilities. Of the 109 patients treated at Hartford Hospital, most (60.2%) had agrade IV or V liver injury; 19 had an operation and 90 were managed nonoperatively. Those managed with an operation were more severely injured and had higher mortality, P < .05. Most patients requiring an operation were identified and operated upon in a timely manner.