Assessment and Management of Pediatric Trauma
Module 5: Pediatric Blunt Abdominal and Chest Trauma
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Gastric distension in small children

Stomach may be distended with air

Anxious / crying children swallow air
Aggressive bag mask ventilation can inflate stomach
Reflex paralytic ileus slows gastric emptying

 

Place a gastric decompression tube to facilitate abdominal exam, prevent hypoventilation (more diaphragm mobility), and reduce pulmonary aspiration risk

Gastric distension
Module 5: Pediatric Blunt Abdominal and Chest Trauma