Management of Blunt Abdominal Trauma

Abstract

njury is a global public health problem and the dominant cause of morbidity and mortality among the young, particularly in industrialized countries. Trauma mechanisms include mechanical, thermal, electrical, radiation, and blast. For each of these mechanisms, there are precipitating agents or vectors that produce injury. Mechanical injury can result from blunt force or penetrating trauma. Examples of blunt trauma include motor vehicle crashes, pedestrians struck by a motor vehicle, and falls. Early identification of significant intra-abdominal injuries is necessary for the successful management of blunt trauma, because delay in diagnosis can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The circumstances of the accident and the clinical condition of the patient before admission to the emergency room should be ascertained from emergency medical services records, the patient (if possible), and eyewitnesses. The most important test to obtain is the cross-match. Other investigations include blood chemistries, hematologic analysis, coagulation profile, toxicological analysis (with ethanol level), urine analysis, and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin level if the patient is a woman of child-bearing