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Blunt Abdominal Trauma

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Evidence-Based Critical Care

Abstract

Blunt abdominal trauma may result in injury to solid organs, hollow viscera, the abdominal wall and bony pelvis. The initial management of blunt abdominal trauma follows the principles of Advanced Trauma Life Support, including adherence to the ABCs of trauma evaluation and balanced resuscitation. Three-dimensional imaging and interventional radiology are valuable adjuncts to the initial evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma. 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. Nonoperative management includes a period of observation along with serial physical examinations and laboratory values in a setting with experience in identifying ongoing or recurrent hemorrhage requiring prompt operation. Hollow visceral injury with perforation or ischemia requires operative intervention. Musculoskeletal trauma may be associated with hemorrhagic shock from large volume blood loss.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Trauma Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Elizabeth C. Gwinn

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

    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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Editors and Affiliations

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

    Robert C. Hyzy

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

    Jakob McSparron

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Gwinn, E.C., Park, P.K. (2020). Blunt Abdominal Trauma. In: Hyzy, R.C., McSparron, J. (eds) Evidence-Based Critical Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26710-0_86

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26710-0_86

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