JOURNEY THROUGH AN ACUTE ABDOMEN FOLLOWING ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT: A CASE REPORT

Severe blunt abdominal trauma from road traffic accidents (RTA) remains a significant contributor to intra-abdominal hemorrhage and visceral injury. Intraabdominal vascular injuries due to blunt abdominal trauma are very rare but fatal. We present the case of a 37-year-old male truck driver who sustained complex abdominal injuries after a high-impact collision involving a steering wheel. Despite an initial stable airway and neurologic profile, focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) revealed intra-abdominal bleeding. Emergency exploratory laparotomy revealed a rare Superior mesenteric vein (SMV) tearalong with catastrophic mesenteric and bowel injuries necessitating staged surgical management. This case highlights the critical importance of prompt surgical intervention in blunt mesenteric trauma as venous injuries often fail to get identified with no obvious active extravasation on preliminary CT findings as was in this case.