Abdominal contusions in infants

ABSTRACT

Abdominal contusions are frequent in children and present a lesional diagnostic problem - their treatment is marked by tendancy towards a conservative surgical one at the present time. 117 cases of abdominal emergency unit at Ibp Sina Hospital [Rabat] during a five year period. This includes one to 15 years old children. The Scool period is the most represented with a very clear predominance of boys. [3 boys for 1 girl]. Public road accidents show the most frequent etiology [60 cases]. Kidney and retroperitonial hematomas are the lesions mostly found [24 cases]. If the diagnostic is generally easy an isolated abdominal contusion, the problem becomes difficult in poly traumatized cases; the eventuality which is frequent in children [36% of the cases]. [La PLP] has lost its place in the arsenal of complementary examinations while the echography in interesting both in the diagnostic as wellas the surveillance of lesions. Non-operative treatment was not applied to 91 of our patients. The evolution was favorable for all of them. A behaviour to be taken in front of a children abdominal contusion is schematized at the end of this study. It is now adopted by most of the pediotric surgical teams