Small bowel

Small bowel

• The small bowel is frequently injured as a result of blunt trauma. - The individual loops may be trapped, causing high-pressure rupture of a loop or tearing of the mesentery . Penetrating trauma is also a common cause of injury . control takes priority and these wounds can be temporarily controlled with simple sutures. In blunt trauma with mesenteric vessel damage, the bowel ischaemia that results will dictate the extent of a resection. Resections should be carefully planned to limit the loss of viable small bowel, but should be weighed against an excessive number of repairs or anastomoses. Haematomas in the small bowel mesenteric border need to be explored to rule out perforation. With low-energy wounds, primary repair can be performed, whereas more destructive wounds associated with military-type weapons require resection and anastomosis. Damage control ‘clip and drop’ of damaged or resected bowel may be necessary . Small bowel

• The small bowel is frequently injured as a result of blunt trauma. - The individual loops may be trapped, causing high-pressure rupture of a loop or tearing of the mesentery . Penetrating trauma is also a common cause of injury . control takes priority and these wounds can be temporarily controlled with simple sutures. In blunt trauma with mesenteric vessel damage, the bowel ischaemia that results will dictate the extent of a resection. Resections should be carefully planned to limit the loss of viable small bowel, but should be weighed against an excessive number of repairs or anastomoses. Haematomas in the small bowel mesenteric border need to be explored to rule out perforation. With low-energy wounds, primary repair can be performed, whereas more destructive wounds associated with military-type weapons require resection and anastomosis. Damage control ‘clip and drop’ of damaged or resected bowel may be necessary . Small bowel

• The small bowel is frequently injured as a result of blunt trauma. - The individual loops may be trapped, causing high-pressure rupture of a loop or tearing of the mesentery . Penetrating trauma is also a common cause of injury . control takes priority and these wounds can be temporarily controlled with simple sutures. In blunt trauma with mesenteric vessel damage, the bowel ischaemia that results will dictate the extent of a resection. Resections should be carefully planned to limit the loss of viable small bowel, but should be weighed against an excessive number of repairs or anastomoses. Haematomas in the small bowel mesenteric border need to be explored to rule out perforation. With low-energy wounds, primary repair can be performed, whereas more destructive wounds associated with military-type weapons require resection and anastomosis. Damage control ‘clip and drop’ of damaged or resected bowel may be necessary .