What is the primary risk when hollow organs are injured?

• A. Infection
• B. Bleeding
• C. Nerve damage
• D. Cancer

Answer: (A)

Injury to hollow organs creates a high risk of infection because contents spill into normally sterile spaces. When these organs are breached, bacteria-rich material from the GI tract or urine from the urinary tract can enter the peritoneal cavity. That contamination can trigger peritonitis, and if not treated promptly, can progress to systemic infection and sepsis. So, the primary danger in this scenario is infection from leakage and contamination, which drives the urgent need for surgical repair and broad-spectrum antibiotics to stop the source and control the infection. Bleeding can occur, but infection from contamination is the more immediate and life-threatening risk; nerve damage isn’t a typical early consequence of hollow organ injury, and cancer risk is not an acute issue in this context.