A 32-year-old woman was the restrained passenger of a vehicle that hit a tree at a high rate of speed. She is 34 weeks pregnant and complains of excruciating abdominal pain. She is cool and diaphoretic and has a faint and rapid radial pulse. You suspect:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The high-speed impact may have caused a rupture of the uterus, which could result in severe abdominal pain, cool and diaphoretic skin, and a rapid, faint pulse. The patient is also 34 weeks pregnant, which increases the likelihood of trauma to the uterus. Traumatic onset of labor, premature rupture of membranes, and uterine inversion are less likely diagnoses given the presentation of severe abdominal pain and signs of shock.

A 32-Year-Old Woman Was the Restrained Passenger of a Vehicle