When Fish Fight Back: Case of Abdominal Trauma by Arapaima gigas in the Colombian Amazon
Santiago Andrés Suárez-Gómez, Emis Muñoz, Nicolas Escobar, Fernando Escobar
Keywords :
Blunt trauma, Case report, General surgery, Intestinal perforation, Rural surgery, Trauma surgery
Citation Information :
Suárez-Gómez SA, Muñoz E, Escobar N, Escobar F. When Fish Fight Back: Case of Abdominal Trauma by Arapaima gigas in the Colombian Amazon. Panam J Trauma Crit Care Emerg Surg 2024; 13 (3):150-155.
The Arapaima gigas, also known as Pirarucú in Colombia and Brazil, is the largest freshwater scaled fish in the world. It inhabits the Amazon River and holds significant economic value, being farmed in both artificial and natural ponds for commercial purposes. This article presents the case of a fisherman who sustained blunt abdominal trauma caused by this remarkable animal. The patient was admitted 6 days after the incident without immediate surgical indications. A computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a perforation of the sigmoid colon. During surgery, a 1200 mL hemoperitoneum, a contained mesenteric hematoma with devascularization, necrosis, and a 5 mm perforation of the sigmoid colon were identified. A resection and Hartmann's colostomy were performed. Injuries involving the hollow viscera (HVI) and mesentery are commonly associated with penetrating trauma but are rare in cases of blunt trauma. Diagnosing these injuries can be challenging, and delays in diagnosis may lead to significant morbidity and mortality, particularly in rural settings where access to timely care is limited.
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