@article{ref1,
title="Abdominal wall injuries occurring after blunt trauma: incidence and grading system",
journal="American journal of surgery",
year="2009",
author="Dennis, Ryan W. and Marshall, Andre and Deshmukh, Harshal and Bender, Jeffrey S. and Kulvatunyou, N. and Lees, J. S. and Albrecht, Roxie M.",
volume="197",
number="3",
pages="413-417",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Traumatic abdominal wall injuries (AWIs) are being increasingly recognized after blunt force injury. METHODS: All available abdominal/pelvic computed axial tomography (CAT) scans of blunt trauma patients evaluated at our level I trauma center from January 2005 to August 2006 were reviewed for the presence of AWI. AWI was graded using a severity-based numeric system. AWI grade was then compared with variables from a prospectively maintained trauma registry. RESULTS: Of 1,549 reviewed CAT scans, 9% showed AWI (grade I = 53%, grade II = 28%, grade III = 9%, grade IV = 8%, and grade V = 2%). There was no association between AWI and seatbelt use, Injury Severity Score, weight, or need for abdominal surgery. CONCLUSIONS: AWI occurs in 9% of blunt trauma patients undergoing abdominal/pelvic CAT scans. The incidence of herniation on CAT at presentation after blunt trauma is .2%, and the incidence of patients at risk of future hernia formation is 1.5%. AWI can be effectively cataloged using a straightforward numeric grading system.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0002-9610",
doi="10.1016/j.amjsurg.2008.11.015",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amjsurg.2008.11.015"
}