Penetrating abdominal trauma - selected case reports

We present 3 case-reports with penetrating abdominal injury from our practice in this article. An urgent laparotomy was performed in all cases because of haemodynamic instability or the mechanism of injury. Penetrative abdominal traumas are associated with a high risk of life-threatening intra-abdominal injuries, require urgent revision and are often accompanied by postoperative infections of the peritoneal cavity. In recent years, there has been a growing tendency towards mini-invasive approaches or even non-operative treatment. This trend is particularly evident in the United States of America, where doctors experience a higher number of penetrating injuries compared to the prevalent blunt force trauma in Europe. The authors describe the need to follow all recommended procedures in the pre-hospital and hospital phases of treatment of these patients and compare them with recent literature. Key words: penetrating abdominal trauma.