A Case Report of Tension Pneumoperitoneum Secondary to Self-harm

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Tension Pneumoperitoneum is a rare andfatal form of abdominal compartment syndrome. It causesan abrupt rise of intra-abdominal pressure and leads tohemodynamic instability and multi-organ failure. Tensionpneumoperitoneum can be caused generally by sepsis, severeabdominal trauma, and gastric perforation. it is extremelyrare to see this tension pneumoperitoneum in a case ofself-harm.Case report We present a case report of a 37-year-old malewith abdominal injury with intend to self-harm. He presentedto the emergency department in AL-Sader teaching hospital inAl Najaf city in Iraq, with hemodynamic instability. He waspromptly diagnosed with tension pneumoperitoneum withthe aid of x rays and clinical judgment. After decompression,patient was successfully treated with laparotomy, bowelresection and stoma formation.Conclusion: Although it is rare to see tensionpneumoperitoneum due to self-harm, early diagnosis andmanagement are vital to prevent mortality and morbidity insimilar cases.