Blunt abdominal trauma following gunshot wound

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Similarly to blast weapons, every firearm produces explosion at the moment of shooting, which can cause injuries in every region of the body. The aim of this paper is to present the mechanism of blunt abdominal injury following gunshot wounds, bringing this uncommon disease to the clinicians’ attention and to review the literature available.

CASE REPORT: A patient developed a delayed bowel perforation following a gunshot injury of the abdomen without breaking of the peritoneum. It was clinically suspected eight hours later and confirmed with contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan. The patient underwent immediate laparotomy. Resection, end-to-end anastomosis, and large lavage of the peritoneal cavity was performed. The patient was discharged ten days after operation in good condition.

CONCLUSION: Failure to recognize blunt trauma mechanism following firearm wounds increases the risk of missed injuries. Distant injuries should be suspected in all cases after blast wave and firearms exposure and a follow up should be done for many days to make sure such injuries are excluded. CT scan total body is recommended in all such cases.