Abdominal Pain Following a Motor Vehicle Crash

Abstract

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 32,000 people are killed each year and over 2 million others are injured in motor vehicle crashes yearly. This common presentation to trauma centers requires rapid diagnosis and management of life-threatening injuries necessitating immediate intervention by a cohesive trauma team made of surgeons, emergency medicine specialists, and anesthesiology physicians. The recognition of common presentations and use of bedside ultrasonography have allowed for more rapid and accurate diagnosis. In turn, this reduces time to intervention and allows for more tailored interventions.