Citation

Delacroix J, Brown J, Kadenhe-Chiweshe A, Bodenstein L, Stimell-Rauch M, Lowe T. Pediatr. Emerg. Care 2011; 27(2): 116-119.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, SCH of the NSLIJHS, New Hyde Park; Department of Pediatrics, and Division Pediatric Surgery, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian; Department of Surgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center; Division Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York-Presbyterian; and Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PEC.0b013e318209af63

PMID

21293217

Abstract

We present the case of a 16-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted with trans-anal forearm penetration resulting in rectal perforation. She required a sigmoid colostomy that was later reversed. The patient's history and physical examination was complicated by multiple factors: she was intoxicated at the time of presentation as well as during the assault; her presentation fluctuated over time, she was obese, and she carried a psychiatric diagnosis. This case report documents a rare injury caused by sexual assault in the adolescent population and also serves as a platform to discuss the evaluation and management of pediatric victims of sexual assault. We support a collaborative model of care including qualified sexual assault pediatricians, sexual assault nurse (or forensic) examiners, medical specialists, and the criminal justice system. The importance of developing updated sexual assault protocols, ensuring their implementation, and maintaining continuous quality assurance cannot be overemphasized.

Language: en