PENETRATING WOUNDS: PENETRATING ABDOMINAL TRAUMA AND PENETRATING EXTREMITY WOUNDS

Introduction: This article provides a review of penetrating injuries to the extremities and abdomen. Extremity injuries require early attention to avoid limb loss, with factors such as soft tissue, nerve and bone damage determining the feasibility of saving the limb. In abdominal trauma, the most common causes are stab wounds and gunshot wounds, mainly affecting the bowel, liver and abdominal vessels. Close range injuries are more severe and difficult to assess, which can lead to complications. Prompt attention is key. Objective: to detail current information related to penetrating abdominal trauma and penetrating extremity wounds in terms of etiology, epidemiology, evaluation, diagnosis and treatment. Methodology: a total of 25 articles were analyzed in this review, including review and original articles, as well as clinical cases, of which 17 bibliographies were used because the other articles were not relevant to this study. The sources of information were PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane; the terms used to search for information in Spanish, Portuguese and English were: extremity trauma, penetrating trauma, abdominal trauma, projectile injuries, stab injuries. Results: the extremities are the most affected by penetrating trauma, with a high percentage of vascular injuries, especially from gunshot wounds. Although amputation rates have decreased, long-term complications such as nerve damage and fractures persist. In the case of penetrating abdominal trauma, mortality is high in the presence of contamination or multi-organ injuries. Early and adequate surgical treatment, such as laparotomy and contamination control, is crucial to reduce mortality and improve patient prognosis. Conclusions: penetrating trauma is a significant cause of serious injuries, with variability in clinical presentation depending on the type of object causing the injury, its kinetic energy and the location of the injury. Advances in diagnostic imaging and surgical techniques have led to an improvement in patient prognosis, reducing amputation and mortality rates, especially in extremity injuries. However, the complexity of managing penetrating injuries, both abdominal and extremity, remains a challenge due to the potential for long-term complications such as infection, nerve damage and fractures. Early intervention, thorough evaluation and constant monitoring are essential to avoid shock, peritonitis and other serious complications. Surgical treatment, ranging from laparotomy to repair of vascular damage, is crucial to restore function and reduce morbidity. KEY WORDS: trauma, wound, penetrating, abdominal, extremities.