Legrain C, Hans G A, Defresne A, Honore C, Lewin M, Kurth W, Brichant J-F
Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, CHU of Liège, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Acta Anaesthesiol Belg. 2009;60(4):259-62.
We report the case of a 41-year-old man admitted for lower limb and liver trauma following a car accident. Surgical repair of a tibial fracture was performed under general anesthesia 5 days after admission while the liver injury was managed conservatively. At the time of tourniquet inflation, the patient presented a pulmonary embolism. Low-molecular-weight heparin administration had been delayed for 72 hours after admission due to the liver injury. Risk factors for bleeding and thromboembolism in trauma patients with liver injury are discussed.