Health Library

Intestinal Injuries

What Are the Symptoms of an Intestinal Injury?

When the intestine is injured, the child may develop stomach pain and a tight, distended belly. If the material inside the intestine leaks out into the abdomen, it can cause a serious and possibly life-threatening infection. Some intestinal injuries do not cause symptoms right away but may develop after many hours or even days.

How Is an Intestinal Injury Diagnosed?

If an intestinal injury is suspected, the trauma surgery providers will thoroughly and carefully examine your child. X-rays, a computed tomography (CT) scan, blood tests, or even a diagnostic laparoscopy surgical procedure can be done to diagnose an intestinal injury.

How Is an Intestinal Injury Treated?

A child with crushed, torn or punctured intestines may need surgery to fix the injury. Your child will not be able to eat or drink for some time after the procedure.

They will have an IV (a small tube in their vein) to receive IV fluid hydration. They may also have a nasogastric tube (a tube placed through the nose into the stomach) after surgery to keep their stomach empty so that nutrition does not pass through the repaired intestine site, and the intestines have time to heal. Antibiotics and pain medication may be given to your child to prevent infection and control pain.

As your child gets better, the doctors and nurses will check for return of bowel function. Once this has happened, your child will be allowed to start drinking clear liquids and, over time, progress to regular foods. It is important to know that healing time is not the same for each child, and it can be days before your child will be able to eat regular food.

If the intestine was only bruised, your child will probably not need surgery, but they may need to stay in the hospital to be monitored closely.

Medications and Pain Management

Talk to your trauma surgery provider about medications your child was taking before they were admitted to the hospital. They will let you know when it is okay to restart any home medications. Your child may have some pain or soreness at home. Give acetaminophen (Tylenol^®) for pain. Your child's trauma surgery provider may also write a prescription for stronger pain medication. Give the stronger medication if the pain does not go away one hour after giving acetaminophen. Follow the directions on the prescription.

Do not give your child NSAIDs or ibuprofen (Motrin^®, Advil^®, Aleve^®, etc.) until the trauma surgery provider says that it is okay. Your child may require a stool softener while taking prescription pain medication to prevent constipation and straining with bowel movements.

Wound and Skin Care for Intestinal Injury

If surgery is needed, your child may take a quick shower after two days but should not go swimming or take a tub bath for one week. No swimming in lakes, rivers or oceans for two weeks. If your child has cuts or scrapes on the skin from other injuries, wash the areas with warm, soapy water and pat dry. If your child has stitches, follow the specific instructions given by the trauma surgery provider.

What Does Recovery from an Intestinal Injury Look Like?

Activity after Intestinal Injury

Your child will not be allowed to go to gym class, recess or play sports for some time after they leave the hospital. The amount of time will depend on the extent of your child’s injury. Your trauma surgery provider will talk to you about this before your child leaves the hospital. Your child should not play rough with family, friends or pets while recovering. Your child may require some time off school to be at home to rest. Your trauma surgery provider will give you recommendations regarding going back to school.

When to Call Your Child's Doctor

Call the trauma clinic or seek medical attention if your child has:

• Increased or worsening abdominal pain
• Fever higher than 100.5°
• Difficulty with bowel movements
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea / vomiting
• Dizziness
• A fast heart rate
• Redness, swelling, pus drainage, or increased wound pain

Emotional Recovery from Intestinal Injury

After the injury, your child may be tired and irritable. It takes time to heal. Use this time for rest and quiet activities.

Have your child play board games, read, or do small craft projects for short periods of time. Infants and toddlers are harder to distract and will be more difficult to confine but avoid high-risk activities such as doing wheeled activities or climbing jungle gyms.

After any trauma, children may experience acute stress symptoms. If you notice your child having nightmares, flashbacks, nervousness, irritability or any other concerning emotional symptoms, please speak with the trauma surgery provider. Short-term therapy can be provided to help children heal and recover emotionally after a trauma.

Follow-Up After Intestinal Injury

Usually, no follow up tests are needed, but all children with an intestinal injury will be seen in the trauma clinic one or two weeks after discharge.

How Can I Prevent Intestinal Injury?

Preventive Action

It’s important to teach your child about all types of safety. Unintentional injury is one of the leading causes of death for children in the United States.

At Home

If you have guns in the home, they should be unloaded and locked with a locking device with ammunition stored separately.

At Play

Make sure your child wears the correct type of helmet when riding a bike, using other wheeled toys, or taking part in sports that require helmets.

On the Go

Make sure your child is secured in an age-appropriate child restraint every time they ride in a vehicle. Children under 13 years should not ride in the front seat.