Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42565074›Full record

ArticleCureus2026

Decreased Frequency of Splenectomy for High-Grade Splenic Injuries Following the Implementation of an Interventional Radiology Alert Protocol.

Maura Kopchak, John Bach, William B DeVoe, Brian Dusseau, Katherine A Graham, John Dillis, Thomas Glusich, Jeff Hubartt

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Maura KopchakSurgery, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, USA.
John BachSurgery, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, USA.
William B DeVoeGeneral Surgery, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, USA.
Brian DusseauSurgery, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, USA.
Katherine A GrahamSurgery, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, USA.
John DillisSurgery, OhioHealth Research Institute, Columbus, USA.
Thomas GlusichTrauma, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, USA.
Jeff HubarttTrauma, OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, Columbus, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background A vascular interventional radiology (VIR) protocol was initiated at a mature level 2 trauma center on 3/1/2023 to reduce time to vessel puncture to < 60 minutes as per American College of Surgeons (ACS) guidelines. The average time to vessel puncture in the two years prior to protocol initiation was 102 minutes. Following initiation, time to vessel puncture was reduced to 48.2 minutes (p < 0.001). A statistically significant increase in the number of splenic embolizations was noted in the post-protocol group. The primary outcome of the current study was to evaluate if the initiation of a VIR protocol correlated with a statistically significant decrease in splenectomies for high-grade splenic injuries (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grade 3 or higher) in favor of splenic embolization. The secondary outcomes of the study were to assess whether the initiation of the VIR alert protocol improved our rate of splenic salvage, defined as preserved splenic immune function, and if there was a decreased rate of splenectomies across all injury grades. Methods The trauma registry database was queried for all splenic injuries from 1/1/2021 to 9/1/2024. Admission CT scans were used to grade injuries using the AAST Organ Injury Scale. Demographic and clinical characteristics, including severity of illness (ISS), admission INR, age, blood product required pre- and post-intervention, mortality, sex, length of stay, anticoagulant (AC)/antiplatelet (AP) use, mechanism of injury, and need for REBOA (resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta) placement, were collected for all patients. Patients were further broken down into those requiring splenectomy, embolization, or no intervention. Data were analyzed using chi-square and Mann-Whitney U with Jamovi Version 2.3.26.0 (The Jamovi Project, 2023). Results No statistically significant difference was found for clinical or demographic characteristics between groups. Fewer splenectomies and more splenic embolizations were performed in the post-protocol group for high-grade splenic injuries (grade 3), which was statistically significant (p<0.001). This was also true when all grade splenic injuries were compared (p<0.001). Conclusion Following the establishment of an institutional VIR alert protocol for active hemorrhage control in trauma patients, more frequent utilization of angioembolization for high-grade splenic injuries was found with a subsequent decrease in splenectomy rate. Implementation of the VIR alert protocol directly correlated with a shift in practice pattern reflecting attempts at splenic salvage for all injury grades.

Indexed as

hemorrhageinterventional radiology guided embolizationsplenectomysplenic embolizationsplenic trauma

Identifiers

PMID42565074
PMCPMC13446713

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.