Severe Physical Child Abuse Presenting as Septic Shock: A Case Report of Traumatic Hemoperitoneum

Child maltreatment refers to the abuse and neglect of children under the age of 18 and is a prevalent social problem that often goes undetected. To emphasize the importance of this diagnosis, we present the case of a 3-year-old boy who presented in shock with altered consciousness, initially managed as sepsis, but was ultimately diagnosed with severe physical abuse after imaging revealed a traumatic hemoperitoneum. With this article, we aim to remind healthcare providers to consider this diagnosis, even in severely ill children.