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Cardiology20 papers

Crush injury of liver

Last edited: 4/15/2026

Overview

Crush injury of the liver involves severe trauma leading to tissue compression, ischemia, and subsequent reperfusion injury, often resulting in systemic inflammatory responses and potential multiple organ dysfunctions 1.

Diagnosis

  • Clinical Presentation: Severe abdominal pain, tenderness, and signs of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) 1.
  • Laboratory Tests: Elevated serum lactate, metabolic acidosis, and electrolyte imbalances (e.g., increased serum K+) 1.
  • Imaging: Abdominal CT or MRI to assess liver damage, hematoma formation, and potential organ contusions 1.
  • Management

  • Resuscitation: Aggressive fluid resuscitation to correct hypovolemia and metabolic acidosis 1.
  • Supportive Care: Monitoring and management of organ dysfunctions, including renal and respiratory support 1.
  • Surgical Intervention: Consider surgical decompression or repair if there is evidence of ongoing hemorrhage or severe tissue necrosis 1.
  • Special Populations

  • Pediatrics: Specific data not provided; management principles similar but tailored to pediatric physiology 132.
  • Elderly: Increased risk of complications due to comorbidities; careful monitoring and individualized care plans are essential 1.
  • Comorbidities: Patients with pre-existing liver disease may have exacerbated outcomes; close surveillance of liver function is crucial 1.
  • Key Recommendations

  • Aggressive Resuscitation: Initiate immediate fluid resuscitation to manage hypovolemia and metabolic derangements (Evidence: Moderate 1).
  • Monitor Systemic Inflammatory Response: Closely monitor for signs of SIRS and manage accordingly to prevent multiple organ dysfunctions (Evidence: Moderate 1).
  • Consider Surgical Intervention: Evaluate the need for surgical intervention in cases of persistent hemorrhage or significant tissue necrosis (Evidence: Weak 1).
  • References

    1 Xu P, Wang F, Zhou XL, Li L, Xiong D, Yong YQ et al.. Systemic Inflammatory Response and Multiple Organ Dysfunctions Following Crush Injury: a New Experimental Model in Rabbits. Inflammation 2018. link 2 Fahey E, Hughes A, Egan C, Murphy CG. Burst Lacerations: A New Term for a Common Injury to the Foot. Journal of agromedicine 2018. link 3 Al-Qattan MM. The exploded hand syndrome: a report of five industrial injury cases. The Journal of hand surgery, European volume 2013. link

    Original source

    1. [1]
    2. [2]
      Burst Lacerations: A New Term for a Common Injury to the Foot.Fahey E, Hughes A, Egan C, Murphy CG Journal of agromedicine (2018)
    3. [3]
      The exploded hand syndrome: a report of five industrial injury cases.Al-Qattan MM The Journal of hand surgery, European volume (2013)

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