Abstract
The small intestine is the most common organ to be injured in penetrating trauma and is injured in about 5–16% of blunt abdominal trauma. While surgical intervention in penetrating abdominal trauma is mostly immediate when indicated, there is a tendency toward delayed diagnosis and treatment in blunt trauma which increases the morbidity and mortality of such injuries. The presence of certain signs on physical examination should alert the healthcare provider to the higher possibility of small intestine injury; these include the seat belt sign and the presence of chance fracture. In patients who are hemodynamically stable, CT scan with IV contrasts and with or without oral contrast has been frequently used as a complementary method to the anamnesis. CT scan is less used in penetrating trauma. The treatment of traumatic small bowel injuries is surgical, and depends on the extent of the injury.