Sonographic acute and follow-up diagnosis after blunt abdominal trauma

Experience with ultrasonographic acute and follow-up diagnostic as noninvasive imaging procedure for blunt abdominal trauma was analysed in a retrospective study. Between 1986 and 1989 166 organ lesions were noticed in 440 patients with clinically regarded diagnosis of a blunt abdominal trauma. 107 patients were laparotomised. Retrospectively, the sensitivity concerning free fluid in the abdominal cavity caused by lesion of an intrabdominal organ was 0.96 and the specifity 0.98. The predictive value of a positive test was 0.91 and the predictive value of a negative test was 0.99. The rate of negative laparotomy was 1.3%. Thus the sole use of ultrasonographic diagnostic and the non-use of peritoneal lavage seems justified in case of blunt abdominal trauma. Some figures illustrate typical cases and our own results.