Paediatric abdominal trauma

Abstract Injury is the most common cause of death in children over the age of 1 year in the developed world. In the UK, paediatric trauma is relatively rare and occurs mainly from blunt injuries. The majority of severely injured children are under 10 years old, and more than 25% are injuries in children under 1 year of age. Paediatric surgeons need a working knowledge of how best to investigate and manage paediatric abdominal trauma. The majority of intra-abdominal injuries are managed conservatively. Outcomes in paediatric trauma are better when children are cared for in paediatric trauma centres by paediatric trauma teams. This chapter summarizes the investigation and management of the most common abdominal injuries.