title: Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abdominal trauma is frequently encountered, but traumatic injuries to the diaphragm are often missed.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of all the case files of patients presenting with traumatic diaphragmatic injury was performed. These patients were analyzed for their presentation, injury, surgery performed and outcome
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 14 patients were thus identified (12 males and 2 females). The average age was 31.5 years. Road traffic accidents were the most common cause, accounting for the majority of cases (12 patients). 10 patients presented within 24 hours of injury; the other 4 presented late (2 1/2 months to 20 years) with the signs and symptoms of acute intestinal obstruction. The left side of the diaphragm was injured more commonly. Herniation of multiple intra abdominal viscera was common, with the stomach being the organ most commonly implicated. There were 2 deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Traumatic injury to the diaphragm must be kept in mind while dealing with patients who have sustained abdominal trauma. The diagnosis can easily be picked up on chest x-ray. Treatment is surgical, with simple suturing of the diaphragm with non-absorbable suture giving good result.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh, 160 030 India.
authors.forename: Sanjiv
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: Robin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.forename: Rajdeep
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Ashok
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Attri
authors.forename: Usha
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.forename: Ashwani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalal
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bansiwal