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Posttraumatic small bowel obstruction in children

Vinci S Jones1, Soundappan V S Soundappan, Ralph C Cohen

  • 1Department of Academic Surgery, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, Sydney 2145, NSW, Australia. vincijones@yahoo.co.in

Journal of Pediatric Surgery
|August 21, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Children who undergo nonoperative management for blunt abdominal trauma may develop delayed small bowel obstruction. This condition requires vigilance, as it can manifest weeks to a year after the initial injury.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Trauma Management
  • Gastrointestinal Surgery

Background:

  • Diagnosing intestinal injuries in children with blunt abdominal trauma is challenging and often delayed.
  • Nonoperative management is common for blunt abdominal trauma in children, complicating early diagnosis of intestinal injuries.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the characteristics of children who develop intestinal obstruction following blunt abdominal trauma.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective review of medical records from a pediatric tertiary care center over 11.5 years.
  • Analysis of 5 pediatric patients who developed small bowel obstruction after blunt abdominal trauma.

Main Results:

  • All patients initially received nonoperative management for their blunt abdominal trauma.
  • Small bowel obstruction occurred between 2 weeks and 1 year post-trauma (median 21 days).
  • Imaging studies diagnosed obstruction caused by strictures, old perforations, or adhesions; laparotomy was curative.

Conclusions:

  • Posttraumatic small bowel obstruction is a recognized complication in children treated nonoperatively for blunt abdominal trauma.
  • Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for this condition in the follow-up of these patients.
Abstract

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