Stabwound: looking for medical advice for story

[patriciawijers]

Hello everyone,

I couldn't find a better forum to put this question on, so here it is.

I'm a writer of stories, currently working on a realistic action-novel of a Special Forces Team on a mission abroad. My idea was to let one of the leading characters get injured (stabbed in the side). But she has to survive and recover completely.
I've found a lot of information on the net about the treatment of such a wound. But I want the story has to be realistic, and would really like to get some short medical advice on the treatment and recovery of such a wound.
For example, what is possible regarding the location and depth of the wound? What does the entire recovery-period look like? Etc...

This is what I had in mind for the story (but of course, you're all very welcome to comment on this too):
- The patient would be a woman in her mid-twenties. She's healthy and in good condition.
- To her, the mission is physically and mentally exhausting. Nearing the end of the mission and after an exhausting fight, she is stabbed in her side with a short dagger.
- There's a military trauma-doctor present in the room at the time of injury, carrying basic medical equipment (e.g. morphine, bandages...). All of the team members present have had basic medical training.
- Under the supervision of the physician, the woman is immediately carried off to a nearby mobile millitairy hospital.
- The injury is severe and could have claimed her life, but instead she survives and recovers (to rejoin the team two (?) months later).

I am especially interested in the recovery of the wound, and the period of time it wound take for an exhausted and dangerously injured patient to wake fully and respond to questions.

I hope someone would like to help me. :)

Thank you!!
Patricia

[patriciawijers]

Ok, thank you. :)

[Elliot R Goodman, MD]

recovery 2 3 weeks
patient awake a few hrs after surgery
could need colostomy

[patriciawijers]

Hello,

I was thinking of the lower abdomen, a location on the right side below the kidney, liver and stomach. It has to be a vertical stabwound in which only a part of the lower intestine is hit. I understood immediate surgery would be required to repair the intestines, and also to prevent complications such as peritonitis. I haven't got a clue on the length such a wound could have (5-8 cm?)... I guess it's longer on the outside, then on the inside (V-shaped as seen from the outside).

Thank you for the reply! :)

Kind regards

[Elliot R Goodman, MD]

location of wound ?
which organs involved?
surgery required?