Rib fracture is known to cause a variety of intrathoracic and intra-abdominal injuries. It is associated with intra-abdominal solid organ injuries, but rarely is itself a cause of hollow viscus perforation. We report a case of a woman who sustained a blunt injury during which a segment of fractured rib penetrated through the diaphragm and perforated the stomach.

CASE REPORT

A 33 year old woman was brought to the accident and emergency department at West Cumberland Hospital following an accident in which she was crushed by a grabber from behind, sustaining blunt injuries to the chest and abdomen. She complained of pain in the chest and abdomen and vomited once. She denied any respiratory, cardiovascular, or gastrointestinal symptoms. She was conscious, coherent, and haemodynamically stable, with normal pulse and blood pressure. Her Glasgow coma score was 15. Examination revealed tenderness and subcutaneous emphysema in the left lower chest with good air entry bilaterally. Examination of the abdomen revealed a laceration measuring 5 cm in length, with tenderness …