Pediatric Blunt Abdominal Aortic Injuries: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Abstract

Motor vehicle crashes (MVC) are the leading cause of death and injury for American children. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association (NHTSA), 2,570 children 15 years of age and younger were among those killed in 2003.1 Approximately 1,963 of the children killed and 253,000 of those injured were vehicle occupants. One of the rarest injuries encountered in MVCs is blunt trauma to the abdominal aorta. Other causes for this injury include child abuse, falls and direct abdominal blows