Intra-Abdominal Injuries Are Most Common With Pediatric Shrapnel Trauma

Background: Sadly, civilians including children are often caught up in violence, and this can include civil unrest and serious injuries secondary to explosives. Blast injuries include primary injuries caused by the blast wave, secondary injuries due to flying shrapnel, tertiary injuries due to the physical movement of the victim by the blast, and quaternary injuries (burns, inhalation, and radiation exposure). Secondary blast injuries due to shrapnel are the most common of these injuries, and these can produce variable injuries as they depend on the shape, speed, and size of the projectile. Objective: To evaluate organ-based injury patterns and mortality rates due to secondary blast injuries in pediatric patients. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: 65 patients with shrapnel (secondary blast) injuries due to bomb explosion were evaluated. Radiologic findings and types of injuries were recorded. Results: Abdominal injuries (63.0%) and fractures (58.5%) were the most common. Small bo more...