Citation

Boettcher M, Kanellos-Becker I, Wenke K, Krebs TF. Pediatr. Emerg. Care 2013; 29(4): 510-512.

Affiliation

From the Department of Pediatric Surgery, University Children's Hospital Altona, UKE-Medical School, Hamburg, Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/PEC.0b013e31828a3a3d

PMID

23558271

Abstract

Impalement injuries are uncommon, especially in the pediatric population. Because of the rarity of these injuries, physicians may have difficulty recognizing and treating impalement injuries appropriately. Clinical findings are sometimes innocuous, but can be life threatening. Therefore, evaluation of suspected impalement injury should involve careful history and thorough physical examination, even if there is no evidence of trauma to the perineum. We report a very rare case of rectum perforation after transanal introduction of a broomstick with almost no clinical findings. Impalement injuries are difficult to recognize, and severity may not be reflected by their external appearance. To diagnose these injuries in time, it is important to use a well-organized workup.

Language: en