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Subject Area

General Surgery

Article Type

Original Study

Abstract

Background Pediatric trauma represents a critical public health issue, being the leading contributor of death and long-term disability in this age group. Blunt abdominal trauma is particularly common, with the spleen identified as the most frequently injured organ due to children's distinct anatomical traits. This study aims to detect morbidity, mortality, and complications resulting from splenic injuries in the pediatric population. Patients and methods This observational cross-sectional study was conducted at Mansoura University Emergency Hospital from September 2024 to September 2025. It included 104 pediatric patients with splenic injury out of 3600 pediatric trauma patients. Results The prevalence of splenic injury among pediatric trauma patients was 2.8% (104 out of 3600). Road traffic accidents were the leading cause (39.4%). According to CT grading, (72%) of cases were low to moderate grade (I–III Non-operative management (NOM) was attempted in 87.5% of cases and was highly successful (98.9% success rate). The overall splenectomy rate was 13.46%, and complications occurred in 23.08% of patients. The mortality rate was 1.9%, with the vast majority of patients (98.1%) being discharged in stable condition. Conclusion Splenic injury is a frequent and serious consequence of pediatric blunt abdominal trauma. Non-operative management is the cornerstone of treatment for pediatric splenic trauma, splenectomy remains critical for children developing hemodynamic instability. This study confirms that excellent outcomes, with low mortality, can be achieved in a middle and low income country setting by adhering to these principles.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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