Patient ages ranged from 31 to 84 years of age.
Signs of hepatic insufficiency affecting outcome:
(1) presence of ascites
(2) prothrombin time > upper limit of control in seconds
(3) serum total bilirubin > 2.0 mg/dL
Signs of hepatic insufficiency not significantly affecting outcome in multivariate analysis:
(4) hypoalbuminemia (<= 3 g/dL)
(5) serum alkaline phosphatase > 125 IU/L
(6) AST (SGOT) > 40 IU/L
Findings associated with poor prognosis on admission:
(1) ascites
(2) elevated PT
(3) elevated serum total bilirubin
(4) history of motor vehicle accident
(5) multiple trauma
(6) blunt abdominal trauma requiring laparotomy (hemoperitoneum, visceral injury)
The need for emergency surgery was associated with an increased mortality rate (page 176).
|
Signs of Hepatic Insufficiency
|
Number of Sites of Injury
|
Survival
|
|
absent
|
1
|
98%
|
|
absent
|
>= 2 (multiple)
|
75%
|
|
present
|
1
|
75%
|
|
present
|
>= 2 (multiple)
|
16%
|
from Figure 1, page 174
Limitations:
• The analytical methods and reference ranges for AST, total bilirubin, and alkaline phosphatase were not described.
