Role of the damage control tactics in patients with abdominal injuries associated with damage to the spleen

Objective: to evaluate the role of the damage control tactics in patients with abdominal injuries associated with damage to the spleen. Materials and methods. This study included 224 patients with abdominal injuries; of them, 99 individuals (44.1%) had gunshot wounds; 27 patients (12%) had shrapnel wounds; and 98 patients (43.7%) had stab wounds. Results. The analysis of treatment outcomes demonstrated that the use of damage control tactics significantly reduced the number of lethal outcome compared to conventional surgery. Death rate among patients that underwent damage control surgery was 7.1% (n = 16), whereas in patients that underwent conventional surgery it was 13.3% (n = 30). Among participants with gunshot wounds treated using the damage control tactics, death rate was 5.3% (n = 12), while in patients with gunshot wounds who had conventional treatment, death rate reached 13% (n = 29). In the group of stab wounds, death rate was 0.4% (n = 1) and 1.7% (n = 4) in patients who had damage control surgeries and conventional surgeries, respectively. Moreover, the use of damage control tactics significantly reduced the incidence of complications compared to standard treatment (5.3% vs 11.2%). Eight patients (3.6%) with gunshot wounds treated using the damage control tactics developed complications, whereas in the group of gunshot wounds treated using conventional methods, 15 patients (6.7%) developed complications. Among participants with stab wounds, death rate was 1.8% and 4.5% in patients who had damage control surgeries and conventional surgeries, respectively.