Patterns, Management, and Outcomes of Blunt Abdominal Trauma in Adults Presenting to the Emergency Department: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Blunt abdominal trauma, or BAT, is a worldwide cause of injury and death. Motor vehicle accidents, falls, and violence between people are common causes of injuries to solid and hollow visceral organs. Finding it early and treating it correctly are important to getting better.

Objective: To look at all the evidence, we have about how adults with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) who come to the emergency room are hurt, how they are treated, and how well they do in the end.

Methods: We performed an extensive literature review using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for the years 2010–2025. We included observational studies, randomized controlled trials, and systematic reviews that looked at adults with BAT. We gathered and studied information about how the injuries happened, which organs were hurt, how the patients were diagnosed, what treatment they got, and what happened to them.

Results: The liver and spleen were the organs that were hurt the most, and they were also the ones that had the most abdominal lesions. NOM was the first choice for patients who were stable in terms of their blood flow, and it worked more than 80% of the time. Computed tomography (CT) is a preferred way to diagnose because it is very precise and sensitive. Most of the time, surgery was only done on patients who were hemodynamically unstable or who had holes in their hollow viscus. In most cases, death was linked to either a late diagnosis, serious injuries that went along with it, or shock at the first visit.

Conclusion:  Adults who have blunt abdominal trauma have different types of injuries that need to be treated by a team of doctors. Improvements in imaging and the widespread use of NOM have made a big difference in how well patients do. Early diagnosis, careful patient selection, and timely surgical intervention remain the most critical factors in survival.