Traumatic Injury of the Bladder and Urethra

Traumatic injury of the bladder and urethra is damage to the lower urinary tract caused by a strong blow, a fall, an accident, or a pelvic fracture. It can affect the bladder wall or the channel through which urine leaves.

Frequent symptoms: pain in the lower abdomen, difficulty or inability to urinate, the presence of blood in the urine and, sometimes, swelling in the pelvic area.

When to see a doctor? Any pelvic trauma accompanied by these symptoms requires immediate evaluation, since it is an emergency.

Which specialist treats it? Initial care usually falls to the general practitioner or the emergency physician, who stabilize the patient and refer to the urologist for detailed study. When faced with a blow to the pelvis with blood in the urine, the safest thing is to seek care without delay so that a professional can evaluate the extent of the damage.