Q: There are how many grades of liver injury?


Answer:  6

According to American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) classification system, there are 6 levels of hepatic injury from subcapsular hematoma less than 10 percent surface area (grade 1) to hepatic avulsion (Grade 6) - Please refer to references for detailed grading.

Clinical significance: The likelihood of success with nonoperative management, is higher for Grade I, II and III, when compared to higher grades, like patients with hepatic avulsion definitely requires surgical intervention.



References:

1.  Moore EE, Cogbill TH, Jurkovich GJ, et al. Organ injury scaling: spleen and liver (1994 revision). J Trauma 1995; 38:323.

2. Tinkoff G, Esposito TJ, Reed J, et al. American Association for the Surgery of Trauma Organ Injury Scale I: spleen, liver, and kidney, validation based on the National Trauma Data Bank. J Am Coll Surg 2008; 207:646.