From 1985 to 1990, we treated 155 patients presenting with a hemoperitoneum secondary to a splenic or hepatic injury (diagnosis established by sonography, puncture and washout and/or laparotomy). These were 39 children and 116 young adults (average age 33 years). Fifty-eight of them (37%) suffered from multiple injuries (11 children, 47 adults). Splenic lesions were observed in 110 cases and hepatic lesions in 45. Ninety-one patients were operated, 55 in emergency and 36 later, while a watch-and-wait policy was applied to 64 (42%), with repeated clinical and complementary (ultrasound and/or CT) examinations. The indication for surgery was based on the clinical findings and the necessity of blood transfusion (more than 40 ml/kg/24 h in children, more than 2 to 5 U/24 h in adults, according to the context). This attitude allowed us to avoid operating two-thirds of the children and one third of the adults. We assess the limitations of this method.