Bowel Evisceration in a 19-year Old Girl Following Abdominal Blast Injury from Insecticide Can Explosion in a Refuse Fire

Abstract

Blast injuries from non-combat sources such as aerosol cans are uncommon and underreported but can be life-threatening particularly in low-resource settings. Among these, pressurized containers such as insecticide spray cans pose a silent yet significant threat when exposed to extreme heat or flame. These containers, though ubiquitous and seemingly harmless, can transform into dangerous projectiles capable of causing life-threatening injuries, including abdominal trauma and visceral evisceration. We present the case of a 19-year-old female who sustained a penetrating abdominal injury with small bowel evisceration following the explosion of an insecticide can during a routine act of refuse burning. She underwent emergency surgical intervention with bowel resection and primary anastomosis post-operative period was uneventful. The case emphasizes the severity of trauma resulting from everyday domestic activities involving improperly disposed aerosol containers and underscores the need for heightened public awareness, prompt clinical recognition, and timely surgical management of such rare but dangerous events.