BACKGROUND: Abdominal trauma is the distress resulting from a sudden and violent action effected by various agents. Its incidence has been increasing, and severity is determined by injury to vital structures in the abdomen and associated injuries. AIM: To identify the causes of abdominal trauma, the most frequently injured digestive viscera, the presence of injuries in other anatomic regions and the relationship of abdominal trauma to sex and age group. METHOD: Thirty-four patients from the Sistema Único de Saúde [the public healthcare system] were selected, all diagnosed with abdominal trauma and seen from January 2005 through September 2005 at the Hospital Universitário Evangélico de Curitiba. Data collection was performed with the aid of a previously formulated protocol. RESULTS: It was found that 91% of the victims were males. The most affected age group was in its third decade of life. Regarding the classification of traumatic injuries, 58.82% presented with open trauma wounds and 41.18% with contusions. Falls accounted for 44 % of contusions, followed by traffic accidents with 35%. The most common open wounds were caused by firearms in 56% of cases and by knives in 44%. Small intestine injury occurred in 31% of the open wounds, followed by liver, colon and kidney injury, with 23% each. In contusions, 60% of the patients sustained spleen injuries. The thorax was the region most frequently associated with abdominal trauma (31%). CONCLUSION: The leading causes of abdominal trauma were gunshot wounds (penetrating trauma) and falls (blunt trauma). The most frequently injured viscera in blunt trauma were the parenchymatous ones (spleen and liver), and intestines, liver and kidneys in penetrating trauma. Most patients were males, predominantly in their third decade of life.
Abdominal injuries; Contusions; Wounds and injuries; Firearms; Accidents, Traffic
