Diagnostic aspiration of abdominal fluid in patients with acute abdomen

Twenty-two patients with acute abdominal symptoms were studied by abdominal sonography and by sonographically guided aspiration of intraperitoneal fluid. The colour of the fluid was found to be diagnostically valuable: a green colour indicated gallbladder perforation, a yellow colour was found in a variety of infectious diseases, a red colour in haemorrhagic pancreatitis or haemorrhage. Aspirating fluid from the peritoneal cavity under ultrasound guidance in connection with any routine ultrasound examination is a valuable and easy method for studying patients with symptoms of acute abdomen.