Blunt trauma abdomen in paediatric population: a retrospective analysis

Background: Paediatric trauma is a significant cause of mortality and disability in the age group, being responsible for more deaths than all diseases combined. The burden of child injuries in India is not clearly known due to inadequate knowledge about their epidemiology. Abdominal trauma is traditionally classified as either blunt or penetrating. Blunt traumatic injury is the most common cause of death and disability in childhood. Objectives: To study the demographic profile and outcome of blunt trauma abdomen in paediatric population. Methods: It was a retrospective study carried out at NRS Medical College, Kolkata from November 2017 to November 2020. After discharge from hospital, patients were followed for 3 months. Results: Total 41 blunt abdominal trauma patients were enrolled in the study. The demographic characteristics of the patients were noted. The majority of the patients were aged between 6 to12 years 53.66 %. There was a male predominance 75.61%. Tenderness of abdomen was the most common sign observed in pediatric abdominal trauma. Most common injured organ is small bowel 31.71% followed by mesentric injury19.51%, followed by splenic and liver injury. The least common injured organs were pancreas, diaphragm, stomach with 2.44%. Conclusion: By knowing the demography of paediatric trauma majority of paediatric injuries are preventable .Such as preventing children from playing on roads or roofs where accidents might occur. Therefore, preventive strategies should be made in paediatric patients on the basis of these demographic trends