title: Missed Gastric Injuries in Blunt Abdominal Trauma: Case report with review of literature.
abstract: Hollow viscus injuries of the digestive tract are an uncommon occurrence in blunt abdominal trauma. We report a 39-year-old male who was hit by a vehicle as a pedestrian and admitted to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman, in 2015. He underwent an exploratory laparotomy which revealed injuries to the distal stomach, liver and descending colon. Postoperatively, the patient was febrile, tachycardic and hypotensive. Abdominal examination revealed distention and tenderness. The next day, a repeat laparotomy identified a gastric injury which had not been diagnosed during the initial laparotomy. Although the defect was repaired, the patient subsequently died as a result of multiorgan failure. Missed gastric injuries are rare and are associated with a grave prognosis, particularly for trauma patients. Delays in diagnosis, in addition to associated injuries, contribute to a high mortality rate.
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Residency Program, Oman Medical Specialty Board, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Naiem
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Residency Program, Oman Medical Specialty Board, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Kadhim M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Taqi
authors.affiliation: General Surgery Residency Program, Oman Medical Specialty Board, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Badriya H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Al-Kendi
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman.
authors.forename: Hani
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Qadhi
keywords: Abdominal Injuries; Blunt Injuries; Case Report; Diagnostic Errors; Laparotomy; Oman; Trauma