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Introduction

Blunt chest and abdominal trauma, often resulting from motor vehicle collisions, falls, or violent assaults, represent a major cause of morbidity and mortality.  These injuries can range from minor contusions to life-threatening damage to vital organs; they include rib fractures, pulmonary (eg, contusions, pneumothorax, hemothorax) and aerodigestive injuries (eg, esophageal or tracheal rupture), blunt cardiac or vascular injury in the chest, and diaphragmatic, splenic, hepatic, renal, bladder, and hollow viscus injury in the abdomen.  In many cases, hemorrhage is a primary concern and can rapidly lead to shock if not promptly addressed.  A systematic approach to diagnosis and management (eg, ABCDE framework of the primary survey) should be used during the evaluation of a patient with blunt trauma, with particular emphasis on hemodynamic stability.

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