abdominal trauma

Clinical manifestations

• abdominal pain
• signs of peritoneal irritation on physical exam
• hemodynamic instability

Laboratory

• complete blood count
  • hemoglobin/hematocrit
  • white blood cell count
• serum chemistries
  • serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
  • serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
  • serum lactate dehydrogenase
  • serum lipase
  • serum creatinine
• urinalysis

Diagnostic procedures

• abdominal ultrasound
  • initial diagnostic mode in hemodynamically unstable patients
  • doppler evaluation of the renal arteries
  • determines need for emergent laparotomy
  • abdominal ultrasound in the emergency department (bedside focused assessment with sonography for trauma -> FAST) for children with blunt abdominal trauma doesn't seem to improve clinical care or lower costs

Radiology

• abdominal computed tomography, IV contrast only

Management

• see abdominal pain

More general terms

• torso trauma

Additional terms

• abdominal pain
• Blunt Abdominal Trauma in Children score (BATiC)