Penetrating abdominal trauma from table saw use

Abstract

Over 30,000 injuries predominantly to the fingers and hands result from table saw use each year, but penetrating abdominal trauma from table saw use has not been previously described in the English literature. We report the case of a 36-year-old man who was operating a table saw when the blade splintered the wood and propelled it into his abdomen. He removed a large splinter from his skin and presented to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain. He was hemodynamically stable with a negative FAST with two small external wounds and signs of peritonitis. Diagnostic laparoscopy was converted to laparotomy upon visualization of a significant amount of blood in the abdomen. A 22 cm segment of ileum containing 11 enterotomies from wooden projectiles, including one large splinter causing through-and-through injury was resected with a primary anastomosis. He made an uneventful recovery. We discuss this unusual mechanism of penetrating trauma not previously described and the absence of protective technologies that could have prevented this injury.