Acute mesenteric ischaemia after prolonged entrapment in an earthquake survivor with crush syndrome

Acute mesenteric ischaemia is a life-threatening emergency that is easily overlooked when several body systems are injured at once. We describe a 51-year old woman extricated 50 h after the earthquake of 6 February 2023 in Kahramanmaraş, Turkey, who presented with crush syndrome, oliguric acute kidney injury and peritoneal signs; her abdominal pain had begun while she was still trapped. Prolonged immobility and hypovolaemia during entrapment may produce in situ mesenteric thrombosis, and the abdomen of a crush victim warrants repeated examination.