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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Description of a Swine Infant Model of Volume-Controlled Hemorrhagic Shock
Published on: November 3, 2023
[Haemorrhagic shock after severe abdominal trauma in children: knowing when to change from conservative to surgical
R Jouffroy1, N Bourdaud, H Cuttaree
1Département d'anesthésie-réanimation, hôpital Necker-Enfants-Malades, 149, rue de Sèvres, 75015 Paris, France.
Insights
Rare pediatric abdominal vascular injuries from falls can cause shock. Early surgery, though unconventional, successfully treated a child with hepatic artery rupture and splenic vein injury.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric surgery
- Trauma surgery
- Vascular surgery
Background:
- Abdominal vascular injuries are rare in children following trauma.
- Hemorrhagic shock diagnosis can be challenging in pediatric multi-trauma patients.
- Current pediatric abdominal trauma management often favors conservative approaches, reserving surgery for hemodynamically unstable cases.
Observation:
- A 7-year-old girl sustained severe abdominal trauma from a 10-meter fall.
- The patient presented with hepatic artery rupture and splenic vein injury.
- She experienced hemorrhagic shock requiring immediate intervention.
Findings:
- Aggressive resuscitation and early exploratory laparotomy were performed.
- Surgical hemostasis successfully controlled the intra-abdominal bleeding.
- The child's hemodynamic status stabilized, leading to a favorable outcome.
Implications:
- This case challenges the predominantly conservative management of pediatric abdominal vascular injuries.
- Early surgical intervention should be considered in select cases of severe pediatric abdominal trauma with vascular injury.
- Prompt surgical management can be life-saving in pediatric patients with significant intra-abdominal hemorrhage.
Abstract:
Abdominal vascular injuries following a serious falling out are quite rare in children. They can lead to haemorrhagic shock whose etiological diagnosis may be difficult in children in case of multiple trauma. The current management of abdominal injuries in the child is usually conservative, surgery being indicated in haemodynamically unstable patients. We report the case of a 7-year-old girl who presented with abdominal trauma with rupture of the hepatic artery and shredding of the splenic vein following a falling out of 10 meters. Aggressive resuscitation associated with early laparotomy for haemostasis, contrary to usual practices advocated in such a context, have helped control the hemorrhagic shock and stabilize the haemodynamic status of the child. The subsequent evolution was favourable, with full recovery. While a conservative attitude usually prevails in the management of traumatic intra abdominal bleeding in children an interventional attitude with emergency surgery must be sometimes considered.
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