Abstract:
Background: In both industrialized and developing countries, abdominal injuries are on the rise,
and they continue to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. As a result of violent crimes
and war casualties, penetrating abdominal trauma (PAT) has been on the rise. The frequency of
PAT varies around the world due to the industrialization of emerging countries, the weapons
available, and, most importantly, the occurrence of armed confrontations. The mechanism
underlying penetrating trauma, gunshot wounds (GSW), stab wounds, and impalement is
dependent on the kind of injury (1).
Over the last century, the diagnosis and treatment of this prevalent issue has evolved from a
conservative to an operative to a selective strategy. The use of suitable blood transfusions and
antimicrobials, as well as technological breakthroughs in imaging, have aided in the selective
treatment of severe injuries (2).
Objective: To assess the pattern and management outcome of patients with penetrating
abdominal injury in JUMC, admitted and managed from January 1, 2020 – December 30, 2021
Methods: This study was carried out in JUMC, on penetrating abdominal injury patients
managed from January 1, 2020 – December 30, 2021. Institution-based prospective cross sectional study was conducted. The collected data was edited and fed into a computer and
analyzed using SPSS version 26.
Result: A total of 43 penetrating abdominal injury patients (90.7% male) were analyzed.
Abdominal stab wound injuries accounted for 23 (53%). All patients had an emergency
laparotomy. The small bowel (30%), colon (25%) and diaphragm (20%) were the most
commonly injured organs. In 8 patients (18%), no significant intraabdominal injury was detected
at laparotomy. 33 discharged improved and 10 (23.6%) died from the injuries.
Conclusion: Penetrating abdominal trauma is a common type of surgical emergency affecting
particularly young males. The commonest mode of injury is by stab wounds. Although the
management of these patients should aim at minimizing the rate of negative laparotomies, this
should not be done at the expense of delayed diagnosis and treatment.
