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Multiple Choice

In blunt abdominal trauma with a distended abdomen and hypotension, which intra-abdominal injury is most likely?

When a blunt abdominal trauma patient is hypotensive with a distended abdomen, the key idea is ongoing intra-abdominal bleeding. The liver’s large size and rich blood supply make it the most likely source of rapid hemorrhage after blunt impact. A laceration can release a lot of blood into the peritoneal cavity quickly, causing both abdominal distension and shock from blood loss. Other injuries don’t fit the immediate picture as well: pancreatic injuries are often retroperitoneal and may present later or with enzymatic signs; a renal contusion tends to cause flank pain and blood in the urine rather than brisk hemorrhage causing quick distension; intestinal perforation leads to peritoneal signs that develop over time rather than sudden, severe shock. Therefore, a liver laceration best explains the combination of distension and hypotension in this scenario.

When a blunt abdominal trauma patient is hypotensive with a distended abdomen, the key idea is ongoing intra-abdominal bleeding. The liver’s large size and rich blood supply make it the most likely source of rapid hemorrhage after blunt impact. A laceration can release a lot of blood into the peritoneal cavity quickly, causing both abdominal distension and shock from blood loss. Other injuries don’t fit the immediate picture as well: pancreatic injuries are often retroperitoneal and may present later or with enzymatic signs; a renal contusion tends to cause flank pain and blood in the urine rather than brisk hemorrhage causing quick distension; intestinal perforation leads to peritoneal signs that develop over time rather than sudden, severe shock. Therefore, a liver laceration best explains the combination of distension and hypotension in this scenario.