Blunt Abdominal Trauma in the Third Trimester: Eight Departments, Two Patients, One Survivor

Blunt abdominal trauma is one of the leading causes of non-obstetrics-related deaths during pregnancy, with motor vehicle collision, falls, and assaults being the most common etiologies. While a trauma team plays a central role in the care of a pregnant trauma patient, a multidisciplinary involvement is vital to ensure the safety of the fetus and the mother. This case study will follow the step-by-step multidisciplinary approach utilized for a 37-year-old female in her third trimester who suffered blunt trauma and arrived at a Level 1 trauma center that led to maternal survival but fetal demise. She was initially evaluated by Emergency Medicine and Obstetrics/Gynecology departments for maternal and fetal trauma, by Orthopedics for several fractures including the pubic ramus and sacral ala fractures, as well as by Neurosurgery for a subarachnoid hemorrhage and a subdural hematoma. Subsequently, the following departments were brought on after the patient suddenly became hypotensive with abdominal tenderness to assess for internal bleeding: Interventional Radiology, Trauma, Surgery, and Urology. Retroperitoneal and pelvic hematomas were found to be the source of bleeding during an emergency laparotomy and the decision was made for an emergency caesarian section. The neonatal intensive care unit ultimately could not start the fetal heart. In the days that followed, the neurosurgery department monitored the worsening intercranial bleeds while Psychiatry and Social Work attended to the patient. A proper systematic approach towards a patient in this situation necessitates expertise from multiple fields, and the success of this interplay greatly affects patient outcomes.