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Blunt Abdominal Trauma

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Evidence-Based Critical Care

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Abstract

Blunt abdominal trauma resulting in solid organ injury to the spleen and liver is managed primarily with selective nonoperative management, with operative intervention reserved for patients who are hemodynamically unstable or who fail nonoperative management. The initial management of blunt abdominal trauma follows the principles of Advanced Trauma Life Support, including adherence to the ABCs of trauma and balanced resuscitation. A hemodynamically unstable patient with a solid organ injury and intra-abdominal hemorrhage or peritonitis is managed with emergent surgical exploration. A hemodynamically stable patient with a solid organ injury can undergo further imaging to delineate the extent of injury. The use of interventional radiology is a valuable adjunct to both nonoperative and operative management of solid organ injury. Nonoperative management includes a period of observation along with serial physical examinations and laboratory values.

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  1. Acute Care Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Elizabeth C. Gwinn & Pauline K. Park

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  1. Elizabeth C. Gwinn
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  2. Pauline K. Park
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Correspondence to Pauline K. Park .

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  1. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Robert C. Hyzy

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Gwinn, E.C., Park, P.K. (2017). Blunt Abdominal Trauma. In: Hyzy, R. (eds) Evidence-Based Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43341-7_78

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43341-7_78

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