ArticleAnnals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England2023
Abdominal stab wounds with retained knife: 15 years of experience from a major trauma centre in South Africa.
Article in Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Delayed Presentation of a Retained Knife Fragment Following Penetrating Abdominal Trauma and Exploratory Laparotomy.Cureus · 2026Article
- Surgical approach in the management of self-inflicted penetrating abdominal trauma with knife-in-situ (Hunting Knife) in Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center: a tertiary institution in Cebu City, Philippines.Trauma surgery & acute care open · 2024Article
- To challenge, to evolve and to vary.Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
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No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionThis study reviews our cumulative experience with the management of patients presenting with a retained knife following an abdominal stab wound (SW).
methodsA retrospective study was conducted at a major trauma centre in South Africa over a 15-year period from July 2006 to December 2020 including all patients who presented with a retained knife in the abdomen following a SW.
resultsA total of 42 cases were included: 37 males (93%) with a mean age of 26 years. A total of 18 knives (43%) were in the anterior abdomen and 24 were posterior abdomen. Plain radiography was performed in 88% (37/42) of cases and computed tomography was performed in 81% (34/42); 90% (38/42) underwent extraction in the operating theatre. Laparotomy was performed in 62% (26/42). Of all the laparotomies performed, 77% (20/26) were positive for intra-abdominal organ or visceral injury. Overall morbidity was 31%. There were two mortalities (5%). Laparotomy was less commonly required for the posterior abdomen (33% (8/24) vs 100% (18/18),
conclusionsUncontrolled extraction of a retained knife in the abdomen outside of the operating theatre must be avoided. Retained knives in the anterior abdomen usually require formal laparotomy, but this is generally not required for posterior abdomen.
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