Context:Sport-related spleen and liver injuries pose a challenge for the physician. Although rare, these injuries can have serious and even life-threatening outcomes if not accurately diagnosed and managed in a timely fashion. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines on duration and intensity of restricted activity and return to play after spleen and liver injury. In addition, there is controversy on follow-up imaging after injury.Evidence Acquisition:PubMed was searched using the terms splenic or spleen and trauma and hepatic or liver and trauma from 1980 to 2013. The citations from sentinel papers were also reviewed.Study Design:Clinical review.Level of Evidence:Level 3.Results:Ultrasound is ideal in the unstable athlete. Nonoperative management of blunt splenic and hepatic injuries is recommended for hemodynamically stable patients regardless of injury grade, patient age, or presence of associated injuries. Follow-up imaging is not routinely recommended unless clinically indicated. Athletes may engage in light activity for the first 3 months after injury and then gradual return to unrestricted activity as tolerated. High-level athletes may choose splenectomy or serial imaging for faster return to play.Conclusion:Intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice in stable athletes with blunt abdominal trauma.Strength-of-Recommendation Taxonomy:C.

IntroductionTraditionally, patients with suspected ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (rAAA) are taken immediately for operative repair. Computed tomography (CT) has been considered contraindicated. However, with the emergence of endovascular repair, this approach to suspected rAAA could be changing.MethodsWe present retrospective data in a case series of 110 patients with rAAA. Patients were managed at a single tertiary medical center over a five-year period. At this site, there was an established multidisciplinary protocol in which patients with suspected rAAA undergo CT with consideration for endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).ResultsOur results demonstrated a mortality of 30% with our institutional protocol for CT in suspected rAAA. Comparing patients who ultimately had EVAR with open repair, those able to have endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) had lower mortality, shorter hospital stays for survivors, and a greater likelihood of being discharged to home than those with open repair. While survivors were more likely to have had EVAR, surviving patients were younger, had a significantly lower creatinine at presentation, and required fewer blood transfusions than those who died.ConclusionBased on this case series, an institutional approach endorsing CT for presumed rAAA appears to be reasonable. Our results suggest that EVAR may be beneficial in appropriately-selected patients and that CT may potentially facilitate superior management options for patient care.

No abstract