Bladder trauma is a serious injury to the bladder. A person may suffer trauma to the bladder because of an accident, after a physical attack, during childbirth, or even during some types of surgery. It is typically important to seek immediate medical attention for bladder trauma, as it can be fatal in some cases. The treatment methods used and the ease of recovery typically depend on the cause and extent of the trauma.
Motor vehicle accidents are a common cause of bladder trauma. The injury may be caused by the seat belt or by impact with other parts of the car. An individual, however, may also suffer this type of injury after falling from a significant height or suffering a kick or blow to the pelvic area. A person may also suffer trauma because of a stabbing or gun shot wound to the pelvic region. In some cases, a woman may suffer this type of injury because of pressure from the infant’s head during a very long and difficult labor, or surgical tools may injure the bladder during pelvic surgery.
The bladder is more likely to suffer a traumatic injury when it is full rather than empty or nearly so. For example, if a person is in a car accident while wearing a seat belt, the seat belt may apply force to the pelvic area. If an individual has a full bladder at the time, he is more likely to sustain a bladder injury than he would be if he emptied his bladder before getting into the car. Besides a full bladder, age may influence vulnerability to bladder trauma. Children are more likely to suffer bladder injury from a blunt force because their pelvic bones haven’t finished developing and provide less protection for the bladder.
The symptoms of bladder trauma include pain, especially below the navel, and blood in the urine. In some cases, a large hole develops in the bladder, and a person’s urine flows into his abdomen. When this happens, he cannot urinate, which is another symptom. Additionally, symptoms may include a lighter-than-normal urine flow, pain when passing urine, and pain in the back.
The treatment for bladder trauma typically depends on the type of injury and its extent. In many cases, these injuries require surgical treatment. Sometimes, however, doctors put a catheter in place to drain the urine or allow clots to pass while the bladder heals on its own.
