Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences Blunt Injury Abdomen: A Late Presentation

ABSTRACT Blunt abdominal trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among all age groups. Identification of serious intra-abdominal pathology is often challenging; many injuries may not manifest during the initial assessment and treatment period. Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) comprises 75% of all blunt trauma and is the most common example of this injury. The majority occurs in motor vehicle accidents, in which rapid deceleration may propel the driver into the steering wheel, dashboard, or seatbelt causing contusions in less serious cases, or rupture of internal organs from briefly increased intraluminal pressure in the more serious, dependent on the force applied. There are two basic physical mechanisms at play with the potential of injury to intra-abdominal organs -compression and deceleration. These forces can cause tearing of the mesentery of the bowel, and injury to the blood vessels that travel within the mesentery. When blunt abdominal trauma is complicated by 'internal injury', the liver and spleen are most frequently involved, followed by the small intestine. Splenic vessel pseudoaneurysm is uncommon condition develops following some sort of trauma to vessel wall. Lesion consists of single cavity continuous with lumen of vessel covered by meniscus shaped thrombus. These rather uncommon pseudoaneurysms are frequently accompanied by lifethreatening complications, mainly rupture and bleeding. Better outcome requires accurate, timely, and appropriate diagnosis and medical and/or surgical intervention