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CHAPTER 103 ■ ABDOMINAL TRAUMA
RICHARD A. SALADINO, BARBARA A. GAINES

GOALS OF EMERGENCY CARE
Trauma is the most common cause of death in children between 1 and 18 years of
age in the United States; more than 10,000 children die each year from injuries.
Blunt trauma accounts for more than 90% of childhood injuries; the most
common associated mechanisms are falls and motor vehicle–related trauma.
Although injury to the abdomen accounts for only 10% of injuries in children
with trauma, it is the most common unrecognized cause of fatal injuries.
Therefore, a compulsive and systematic approach to timely identification and
treatment of abdominal injuries is required.
KEY POINTS
Children are at greater risk than adults for intra-abdominal injuries after
blunt trauma because of their immature musculoskeletal system.
The overlying muscles and associated skeleton are more pliable than in
adults and, therefore, less protective; children have a higher abdominal
organ-to-body mass ratio.
A given force delivered to the abdomen is distributed over a smaller
body surface area, increasing the likelihood of injury to the underlying
structures.
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