Prevalence, Pattern, Mortality, and Morbidity of Traumatic Small Bowel Perforation at King Abdulaziz Medical City: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction Bowel perforation, whether from trauma or other causes, presents with diverse clinical scenarios. Small bowel perforation (SBP), a potentially fatal condition often linked to blunt trauma like motor vehicle accidents, necessitates prompt detection and intervention, crucial for improved outcomes. This study investigated the prevalence, predictors, presentation, diagnostic findings, morbidity, and mortality of traumatic SBP for comprehensive insights. Methodology This was a retrospective cohort study conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh. A review of 838 cases, which represent all abdominal trauma patients from January 2017 to March 2023, was done. Forty patients who developed SBP and have complete data were included in this study. One case was excluded due to incomplete medical records. Data were collected with the non-probability convenience sampling technique via the BestCare system using a data collection sheet. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS 29 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results Out of all abdominal trauma cases (n=838), 40 patients developed SBP (n=40, 4.77%). Males constituted 87.5%, and the most common mechanism was motor vehicle accidents (57.5%). Complications included cardiac arrest, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and leak (7.5% each). In motor vehicle accidents, SBP primarily affected patients who were in the driver's position (78.3%). Clinical signs at presentation revealed abdominal tenderness (52.5%), abdominal distension (22.5%), and abnormal systolic blood pressure (mean 115.3 mmHg). Linear regression showed gender and age positively associated with morbidity (p=0.474, p=0.543) while BMI exhibited a negative relationship (p=0.314). Logistic regression revealed non-significant predictors of mortality, except for mean initial hematocrit (HCT) (p=0.721, aOR=0.098). Conclusion Our study provides crucial findings on the incidence, patterns, mortality, and morbidity of traumatic bowel perforation, contributing to the existing body of research. The identified prevalence of 4.77% and mortality at 17.5% from the studied population underline the serious impact of this condition, and the 37.5% complication rate observed demonstrates the potential risks involved. The average hospital stay is found to be 14 days, adding further to the disease burden. These findings underscore the importance of specific preventative measures, particularly related to motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), and highlight potential markers for predicting outcomes, such as age, gender, and mean initial HCT. This substantiates the need for further research involving larger cohorts and prospective designs to gain comprehensive insights and establish more robust preventative and treatment strategies.