Abdominal Trauma

Book excerpt: Trauma to the abdomen, both accidental and willful, has become increasingly common in this era of increasing violence. Large numbers of patients all over the country are admitted to emergency rooms because of abdominal trauma of varying degrees of severity. All too often the correct diagnosis is suspected belatedly or not at all, so that proper treatment is not initiated in sufficient time to be lifesaving. Not infre quently, the injured patient is examined by an intern or an insufficiently experienced resident physician. Even in instances where more senior internists and surgeons are available, detailed knowledge about the necessary methodology to establish the correct diagnosis and institute the appropriate treatment is lacking. This monograph, representing the felicitous collaboration of a surgeon and a radiolo gist together with several other contributors, is timely and important. The authors (and their contributors) have approached their subject with a wealth of clinical experi ence obtained in several very active acute-care municipal hospitals in the largest city in this country. They have observed and treated a very large number of patients with a multitude of traumatic causes, including firearm injuries, stab wounds, vehicular accidents, falls, and assaults. The authors have divided this work into four main sections: General Perspectives on Abdominal Injury, Types of Abdominal Injuries, Specific Diagnostic Techniques, and Specific Organ or Supporting-Structure Injury.