Assessment of a Child with Abdominal Trauma

Abstract

Trauma involving the abdomen is the most common cause of death in children due to unrecognized injury. In pediatric emergency a significant portion of workloads on pediatric surgeon to assess the injured child with a focus on abdominal trauma. Pediatric trauma differs from adult trauma in many ways, e.g., mechanisms, injury patterns, anatomy, and long-term effects on growth and development. A focused clinical examination diagnoses most of the important injuries and avoids unnecessary management delays and investigations. Diagnosing intra-abdominal injury is the crux of the examination. Intra-abdominal organs can be injured either by blunt or penetrating injuries. Blunt injuries are much more common than penetrating injuries (85% vs 15%). Pediatric internal organs are more likely to be injured owing to a smaller torso, larger and more mobile viscera, and decreased amount of intra-abdominal fat [1, 2].