Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cat with traumatic pneumoperitoneum healed without surgery
By Philp, Helen S & Hammond, Gawain J C·Published in Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)·2018·Department of Clinical Care, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Nonsurgical management of traumatic pneumoperitoneum in a cat.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 4-year-old cat was brought to the vet after being hit by a car and showed signs of serious injuries, including broken ribs and air in the abdomen (pneumoperitoneum). Instead of surgery, the vet decided to monitor the cat closely, as it was stable and showed no need for immediate surgical intervention. After six days of careful observation, the air in the abdomen disappeared, and the cat was able to recover without surgery.
People also search for: cat car accident recovery · cat pneumoperitoneum treatment · cat rib fractures management
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the nonsurgical management of a cat with traumatic pneumoperitoneum. CASE SERIES SUMMARY: A 4-year-old cat was presented following vehicular polytrauma. Thoracic radiographs revealed 4 rib fractures, a scapular fracture, and pneumothorax. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a small volume of free abdominal fluid. Computed tomography showed a mild pneumoretroperitoneum and a pneumoperitoneum in the region of the porta hepatis. The cat was managed conservatively with close monitoring. Exploratory laparotomy was not pursued given patient stability and static serial imaging studies revealing no indications for surgical intervention. After 6 days, the pneumoperitoneum was no longer detectable. NEW OR UNIQUE INFORMATION PROVIDED: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of successful nonsurgical management of traumatic pneumoperitoneum in a cat.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30299567/