It is a logical presumption that evidence of arterial bleeding, a contrast blush, seen on CT imaging would decrease the likelihood of spontaneous hemostasis. In fact, patients with a splenic injury and an associated

contrast blush are reportedly 24 times more likely to fail NOM [1]. Further study by Federle et al. noted a 19% incidence of contrast blush in their patient population of which only 7% were successful in NOM [2]. Therefore, angiography for patients manifesting a blush associated with their splenic injury has been recommended [11]. However, these data do not answer the question of whether all patients with evidence of contrast extravasation from splenic injury mandate intervention. Angioembolization is Selleckchem AZD1480 invasive, costly, and complications occur in over 20% of patients [8, 12–14]. In our experience, half of patients with a contrast blush on initial postinjury CT scan did not require intervention, either operative or catheter based, following transfer to our hospital for Nutlin-3a intended angioembolization. PCI-32765 cost This number may, in fact, have been higher if the two patients who did not show evidence of extravasation at angiography but underwent empiric embolization were considered in this group rather than the treatment group. Those patients that underwent intervention had significantly higher ED heart rates and decline in their post-transfer hematocrit. Similar to our findings,

Omert et al. reported that a patient’s hemodynamics are more predictive of the need for intervention than contrast blush alone [15]. They describe the successful NOM of nine patients with splenic injuries and contrast blush, concluding that the mere presence of a contrast blush was not an absolute indication for intervention. Similar conclusions in children have also been reported [16]. Unlike other studies that have shown a correlation between increasing AAST splenic injury grade, increased incidence

of contrast blush, and need for intervention [1], our group showed similar injury grades between those undergoing NOM and those requiring intervention. There are inherent limitations in any retrospective evaluation. Additionally, the numbers in AMP deaminase this series may be considered small, hence precluding broad generalization. However, this study serves to underscore that the surgical dictum, all blushes require embolization, may not be supported by scientific evidence once evaluated. This study is small due to the catchment population – only those patients with outside facility imaging demonstrating a blush associated with a splenic injury were included. We purposefully excluded those patients whose first evaluation was in our own emergency department with subsequent admission as management along the “”surgical dictum”" was more probable. By analyzing those patients who underwent transport times and hence permitted a repeated and delayed evaluation, gave us a time-frame without intervention.