PURPOSE: To describe the clinical presentation of patients with blunt abdominal trauma undergoing nonoperative management of spleen or liver lacerations for identification of pertinent assessment findings indicative of the impending need for surgical intervention.METHODS: A retrospective study utilizing medical records for a 5 year period of adult blunt trauma patients with a diagnosis of spleen or liver laceration were reviewed.FINDINGS: Patients who failed nonoperative management of spleen or liver lacerations had statistically different measurements of heart rate, uncontrolled pain, skin color and temperature, numbers of units of blood received, urgent computed tomography scans, and serial hemoglobin levels.CONCLUSIONS: Nursing observations are crucial to the early identification of bleeding in patients with blunt abdominal trauma.
Adult Female