Blunt traumatic diaphragmatic injury: A diagnostic enigma with potential surgical pitfalls

Abstract Background Blunt traumatic diaphragmatic injury (BTDI) is an uncommon injury and one which is difficult to diagnose. The objective of this study was to identify features associated with this injury. Methods This was a retrospective study based on records of 354 307 blunt trauma victims treated between 1998 and 2013 collected by the Israeli National Trauma Registry. Results BTDI was reported in 231 (0.065%) patients. Motor vehicle accidents were responsible for 84.4% of the injuries: 97 (42.0%) were reported as drivers; 54 (23.4%) were passengers; 34 (14.7%) were pedestrians hit by cars; and 10 (4.3%) were on motorcycles. There were more males than females (2.5:1) compared with blunt trauma patients without BTDI (p  Conclusions BTDI is infrequent following blunt trauma. Hollow viscus injuries were more predictive of BTDI than skeletal or solid organ injuries.