Patterns and Outcomes of Nonoperative Management of Abdominal Trauma With Solid Organ Injury Among the Pediatric Population

Sep 30, 2026

Trauma causes substantial childhood mortality and long-term disability, with abdominal injuries contributing preventable morbidity and mortality. This retrospective study evaluated patterns, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of nonoperative management (NOM) for solid organ abdominal trauma in pediatric patients. Reviewing 2015–2020 cases at King Fahd Hospital, it assessed success rate as the primary outcome and transfusion requirement, injury severity, and length of stay as secondary outcomes. Outcomes showed NOM success in most children with spleen and liver predominance.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

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Abstract

Background

Objective

Materials and methods

Results

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Introduction

Review began 09/22/2025 Review ended 11/26/2025 Published 12/09/2025 © Copyright 2025 Kazkaz et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License CC-BY 4.0. , which permits unrestricted use , distribution , and reproduction in any medium , provided the original author and source are credited. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.98820 Open Access Original Article Patterns and Outcomes of Nonoperative Management of Abdominal Trauma With Solid Organ Injury Among the Pediatric Population Mohammed H. Kazkaz 1, Hussain A. Al Ghadeer 2 , Othman Almohammedsaleh 3, Simon A. Kolanjian Abdulelah A. Alneamah 4 , Mohammed A. AlJumaah 2, Alla A. Bokhamseen 5, Zaina N. Alrawi Tajah M. Alaithan 7, Hassan Ammish 8, Waad A. Aljubairah 2 , Ahmed A. Bu Amir 7 6 , 1 , 1. Pediatric Surgery, King Fahad Hospital, Al Hofuf, SAU 2. Pediatrics, Maternity and Children Hospital, Al Mubarraz, SAU 3. Radiology, King Fahad Hospital, Al Hofuf, SAU 4. Pediatrics, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Al Khobar, SAU 5. Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Maternity and Children Hospital, Dammam, SAU 6. Pediatric Surgery, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, SAU 7. Pediatrics, Al-Ahsa Health Cluster, Al Hofuf, SAU 8. General Surgery, King Fahad Hospital, Al Hofuf, SAU Corresponding author: Hussain A. Al Ghadeer, [hu.alghadeer@gmail.com](hu.alghadeer@gmail.com) Abstract Background Trauma is the leading cause of mortality and long-term disability among children older than one year in the United States and globally, including Saudi Arabia. Abdominal trauma ranks as the third most common cause of trauma-related death in children and remains a significant contributor to morbidity despite advances in pediatric trauma care. Missed abdominal injuries, in particular, represent a major source of preventable morbidity and mortality. Objective This study aimed to assess the patterns, clinical characteristics, and outcomes of nonoperative (conservative) management (NOM) in children with solid organ abdominal trauma, with success rate as the primary outcome and transfusion requirement, injury severity, and hospital stay as secondary outcomes. Materials and methods A retrospective chart review was conducted at King Fahd Hospital, Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, encompassing all pediatric patients with solid organ abdominal trauma between 2015 and 2020. Extracted variables included age, sex, mechanism, type of trauma, injured organs, severity of injury, management approach, and hospital length of stay. Results Ninety children met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 7.1 ± 3.6 years, with the majority (55 .6%) aged 5-10 years. Males predominated (67.8%) . Blunt trauma was reported in 95.6% of cases, most commonly due to road traffic accidents (RTAs) . The spleen and liver were the most frequently injured organs. NOM was successful in 94.4% of cases (n=85), while only 5.6%(n=5) required surgical intervention. Most children were discharged within one week of admission. Conclusions Blunt abdominal trauma, primarily from RTAs, was the predominant mechanism of injury in the pediatric population studied. The spleen and liver were the most commonly affected organs. NOM was highly effective, reinforcing its role as the standard of care for stable pediatric patients with solid organ abdominal trauma. Categories: Emergency Medicine, Trauma, Pediatrics Keywords: abdominal trauma, al ahsa, children, management, outcome, pattern, pediatric, saudi arabia, solid organ injury Introduction Abdominal trauma is the third leading cause of death in injured children and the primary cause of mortality when injuries go unrecognized [1] . Despite advances in pediatric trauma management, it still results inconsiderable morbidity, with missed abdominal injuries remaining a key source of preventable adverse outcomes [2] . Abdominal trauma remains a cause of significant morbidity in children despite advances in the

FAQs

What was the primary outcome in this study of NOM for solid organ abdominal trauma?

The primary outcome was the success rate of nonoperative (conservative) management.

Where and when were the pediatric cases reviewed?

The study used a retrospective chart review at King Fahd Hospital in Hofuf, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, covering pediatric patients from 2015 to 2020.

Which injury mechanism and organs were most common among the children?

Blunt trauma was reported in most cases, most commonly from road traffic accidents, with the spleen and liver being the most frequently injured organs.

Sep 30, 2026

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