Abdominal wall injuries occurring after blunt trauma: incidence and grading system.
BACKGROUND
Traumatic abdominal wall injuries (AWIs) are being increasingly recognized after blunt force injury.


METHODS
All available abdominal/pelvic computed axial tomography (CAT) scans of blunt trauma patients evaluated at our level I trauma center from January 2005 to August 2006 were reviewed for the presence of AWI. AWI was graded using a severity-based numeric system. AWI grade was then compared with variables from a prospectively maintained trauma registry.


RESULTS
Of 1,549 reviewed CAT scans, 9% showed AWI (grade I = 53%, grade II = 28%, grade III = 9%, grade IV = 8%, and grade V = 2%). There was no association between AWI and seatbelt use, Injury Severity Score, weight, or need for abdominal surgery.


CONCLUSIONS
AWI occurs in 9% of blunt trauma patients undergoing abdominal/pelvic CAT scans. The incidence of herniation on CAT at presentation after blunt trauma is .2%, and the incidence of patients at risk of future hernia formation is 1.5%. AWI can be effectively cataloged using a straightforward numeric grading system.
Dennis
Ryan W
RW
Department of Surgery, University of Oklahoma, College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Marshall
Andre
A
Deshmukh
Harshal
H
Bender
Jeffrey S
JS
Kulvatunyou
Narong
N
Lees
Jason S
JS
Albrecht
Roxie M
RM
D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000145:classification* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D034861:Abdominal Wall; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014193:Trauma Centers; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications