Trauma to the bladder

Urinary bladder trauma may be caused by a direct or indirect blow to the organ. It is usually the result of closed injuries and pelvic fractures. Open bladder injuries may be due to gunshot or stab wounds. There are different degrees of injury: Contusion, intraperitoneal rupture, extraperitoneal rupture. Symptoms may be masked by other more severe lesions. It manifests as urinary bleeding, lower abdominal pain, difficulty urinating or inability to urinate. It must be suspected in the clinical situations described and be confirmed by retrograde cystography. The treatment goal is to keep the bladder completely decompressed with urinary catheterisation. Patients with intraperitoneal rupture will require a surgical operation to repair the injury.