Genitourinary Trauma

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Traumatic injuries to the genitourinary system can be serious, but many injuries do not need surgical intervention.

Injuries from trauma can occur anywhere on the body. Depending on their location, different methods are required for diagnosis and treatment. Genitourinary trauma, for instance, can lead to serious consequences due to the number of organs involved within the genitourinary system.

This system include the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. In boys, it also includes the scrotum, testicles, prostate, and penis.

Causes of Genitourinary Trauma

Traumatic injuries to the genitourinary system are categorized in two forms:

  • Blunt force trauma describes forceful impacts that occur during a fall, casual playing, or participating in a sport.
  • On the other hand, penetrating trauma describes injuries resulting from A piercing mechanism, such as gunshot or a knife wound.
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Possible Symptoms & Diagnosis Steps

  • With some injuries, children may experience discolored urine, which can be a sign of bleeding in either the bladder, kidneys, or other parts of the urinary tract after blunt force to the lower abdominal region.
  • More severe injuries, such as ureter disruption, can cause urine leak, infection and pain in addition to bleeding.
  • Healthcare providers have a number of options available for diagnosing children suspected of enduring genitourinary trauma.
  • Chief among these is an abdominal CT scan. Some traumas can be evaluated with ultrasound if the patient is fairly stable and not compromised. This will provide an overall look and determine if traumatic injuries are suspected.
  • Other tools used to diagnose trauma include arteriography, blood tests, and retrograde urethrography and/or cystography, which can be used to identify damage to the bladder and urethra.

Treating Genitourinary Trauma

  • If the trauma is not severe, then bed rest and pain medication may be recommended.
  • If it is determined that the trauma is severe, then the immediate next step is to stabilize the child by implementing short-term injury management techniques.
  • After averting any danger that the child may be in, the focus shifts to longer-term injury management. The steps taken during this process are governed by the location, cause, and seriousness of the injury.
  • Reconstruction surgery may be required to return full function and pre-injury physical state.
  • Some injuries and consequences may not be reversible.

Each genitourinary reconstruction or surgical intervention is based on injury type and location.