Blunt liver trauma with damage control treatment: a case report

Abstract

Liver injury caused by a trauma mechanism can be complex and serious, with a high rate of morbidity and mortality. Damage Control Surgery (DCS) is a rapid intervention that prioritizes hemorrhage control in critically ill patients affected by the triad of death: metabolic acidosis, hypothermia and coagulopathy. This method has five fundamental stages: indication, abbreviated laparotomy, resuscitation of hemodynamic stability, definitive treatment and rehabilitation. This case report aims to describe a patient treated at the General Surgery Service of Hospital Municipal Lourenço Jorge, who was the victim of a blunt abdominal trauma, developing hemodynamic instability and treated surgically to control damage. The patient's clinical condition, the trauma mechanism and the severity of the liver injury are elucidated and analyzed, taking into consideration, the risks and benefits in the indication of CCD and possible conditions susceptible to developing certain complications and/or the lethal triad.