Journal of Surgery and Trauma

en Prevalence and Outcomes of Patients with Abdominal Trauma Referring to the Trauma Center of Shahroud University of Medical Sciences During 2019–2021 طب اورژانس Emergency Medicine پژوهشي Research Background and Objective: Abdominal trauma is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and represents a significant public health concern, particularly in developing countries. Rapid urbanization, increased motor vehicle use, and industrial development have contributed to the growing burden of trauma in Iran. Understanding the epidemiological characteristics and outcomes of abdominal trauma is essential for improving management and prevention strategies. The present study aimed to investigate the frequency and clinical outcomes of patients with abdominal trauma presenting to the trauma center of Shahroud University of Medical Sciences. Materials and Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with abdominal trauma admitted to Imam Hossein Hospital in Shahroud between 2019 and 2021. Data were extracted from medical records using a structured checklist, including demographic characteristics, injury-related variables, clinical management, and outcomes. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 18). Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± SD or median (IQR) depending on the distribution, and categorical variables as frequencies (%). Comparisons were performed using independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Chi-square tests. A P-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: A total of 196 patients with abdominal trauma were included in the study (69.4% male). Blunt trauma was most common (92.9%), and traffic accidents were the leading mechanism (66.3%); penetrating trauma (7.1%) occurred only in men and was mainly related to interpersonal violence. Overall, 36.7% of cases required emergency surgery; 60.2% were admitted to the surgical ward, 33.7% to the ICU, and 6.1% died. Mean time to emergency department arrival was 77 min and mean hospital stay was 8.7 days. Analytical findings showed that patients with blunt trauma were significantly older than those with penetrating injuries (p=0.001). Penetrating trauma was also more frequently associated with the need for emergency surgery (P=0.001) and ICU admission as a clinical outcome (P=0.007). In addition, clinical outcomes were significantly associated with marital status (P=0.006), mechanism of injury (P=0.006), and the need for emergency surgery (p=0.001). In contrast, sex (P=0.978), underlying disease (P=0.141), and recent substance use within 24 h prior to trauma (P=0.401) were not significantly related to clinical outcomes. Conclusion: Abdominal trauma in this setting predominantly affected males in economically active age groups and was mainly caused by traffic accidents and stab wounds. These findings highlight the importance of implementing effective preventive measures, including stricter enforcement of traffic safety regulations, public education on road safety, and community based violence prevention programs, to reduce the incidence of abdominal trauma and its associated complications. Key words: Abdominal Injuries, Blunt Trauma, Penetrating, Stab Wounds, Trauma Centers, Wounds   Abdominal Injuries, Blunt Trauma, Penetrating, Stab Wounds, Trauma Centers, Wounds 0 0 http://jsurgery.bums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-202-9&slc_lang=en&sid=1 zoehreh saleh nsaj safirnassaj@gmail.com 0000-0002-0996-5736 Yes Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran. Ava Sadat Rayan ava_sadat@gmail.com No Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran. omid garkaz omid.garkaz23@gmail.com https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7192-8629 No Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences, Shahroud, Iran. Hamidreza Mehryar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0435-715X No Department of Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.