3 days before Christmas, EMS brought me a 93 year old white female, restrained front seat passenger in a Mercedes driven by her daughter who had pulled thru a stopped line of traffic into the opposiing direction of traffic only to be struck on her side by an oncoming Jeep Cherokee at about 55 MPH. Side and front airbags deployed. Incident happened less than 2 miles from the ER, but the EMS crew brought her to the ER despite her being hypotensive at the scene without IV access. I get inserted into the loop after she's already been in the ER for sometime while IV access is repeatedly attempted and fluid resuscitation commenced. CT scan reveals multiple fractured pelvis with hematoma, as well as pulmonary contusion and likely pericardial effusion. At any rate, despite fluids, pressors, blood and surgical consult...the patient ends up being coded and expires. Diagnosis
elvic hemorrhage from fractured pelvis, et al.
You are very right...blunt abdominal trauma can result in hemorrhagic misadventures that kill.