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Abstract Blunt abdominal trauma is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in all age groups. The majority occurs in motor vehicle accidents, in which rapid deceleration may propel the driver into the steering wheel, dashboard, or seatbelt causing contusions in less serious cases, or rupture of internal organs from briefly increased intraluminal pressure in the more serious, dependent on the force applied. When blunt abdominal trauma is complicated by ’internal injury’, the liver and spleen are most frequently involved, followed by the small intestine. Evaluation of patients who have sustained blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) may pose a significant diagnostic challenge to the most seasoned trauma surgeon. Blunt trauma produces a spectrum of injury from minor, single-system injury to devastating, multi-system trauma. Trauma surgeons must have the ability to detect the presence of intra-abdominal injuries across this entire spectrum. While a carefully performed physical examination remains the most important method to determine the need for exploratory laparotomy. Due to the recognized inadequacies of physical examination, trauma surgeons have come to rely on a number of diagnostic adjuncts. Commonly used modalities include diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) and computed tomography (CT). Although not available universally, focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) has recently been included in the diagnostic armamentarium. Early detection of intra-abdominal injury can direct the trauma surgeons about the plan of management of the patients and decrease the incidence of morbidity and mortality. Each organ injury is categorized in classes by ASST which also help the trauma surgeon about the type of management including operative and non-operative management. Poly-traumatized patients who are severely injured may need a team work to make right decisions to have an accepted outcome for the management of these patients. |