A combined trauma model of chest and abdominal trauma with hemorrhagic shock-description of a new porcine model

Despite the high incidence and prognostic relevance of hemorrhagic shock and abdominal and blunt chest trauma in multiply injured patients, there are no animal models combining these injuries. Therefore, we established a new porcine multiple trauma model consisting of blunt chest trauma, penetrating abdominal trauma (two incisions in the right upper liver lobe using a four-edged scalpel and subsequent liver packing), and pressure-controlled hemorrhagic shock with a mean arterial pressure of 30 ± 5 mmHg (a maximum of 45% of the total blood volume). The combined traumatic insult led to severe signs of hemorrhagic shock and impaired pulmonary function. In conclusion, a consistent, reproducible, and clinically relevant porcine model of multisystem injury with controlled (pressure-controlled blood withdrawal) and uncontrolled components of hemorrhage (liver laceration) with the potential for rebleeding was established.