The prognostic factors of adult patients with hepatic portal venous gas in the ED.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prognostic factors of adult patients with hepatic portal venous gas (HPVG) in the emergency department (ED) to facilitate clinical decision making by emergency physicians.

Methods: Data from adult patients with HPVG who visited our ED between December 2009 and December 2013 were analyzed. The computed tomographic scan images were reviewed, and the presence of HPVG with or without pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) was confirmed by a certified radiologist. The study end point was mortality or survival upon discharge. The factors associated with mortality were specifically analyzed with multiple logistic regression models.

Results: Among the total of 50 HPVG patients, the overall mortality rate was 56%. No deaths were observed among the patients with neither shock nor PI in the ED. Shock (odds ratio, 17.02; 95% confidence interval, 3.36-86.22) and PI (odds ratio, 5.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.03-25.67) were determined to be significant predictors of patient mortality after adjusting for age and sex. The mortality of the patients with both shock and PI was very high (84%).

Conclusions: Early resuscitation should be initiated for the prevention of shock in adult patients with HPVG in the ED. To enhance the chance for survival, the prompt consultation of surgeons for emergency operations should be considered for adult ED patients exhibiting both shock and PI, which may indicate true ischemic bowel disease.