title: Rectal impalement injury through the pelvis, abdomen and thorax.
abstract: Impalement rectal injuries with intraperitoneal organ injuries are rare. It is even rarer for such injuries to result in pelvic, abdominal and thoracic internal injuries. We present the case of a 39-year-old man who was admitted after an assault where a broken broomstick was inserted  forcibly into his rectum. Surgery revealed penetration through the rectum, dome of the bladder, mesentery, liver and right lung. The patient survived following management by a multispecialty surgical team. Our literature review identified four similar cases with one fatality only. Prognosis  seems to be good in these types of injuries provided there is an early presentation, the penetrating object is left in situ before the operation and, most importantly, there is an organised team approach to deal with the various injuries.
authors.affiliation: University of Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: El Shafei
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Al Kari
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Aly
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010388:Pelvis / Q000293:injuries*; D012007:Rectum / Q000293:injuries*; D013898:Thoracic Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014754:Violence; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000209:etiology*