Blunt abdominal trauma: The role of focused abdominal sonography in assessment of organ injury and reducing the need for CT

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of ultrasound in early diagnosis of intra-abdominal injury following blunt abdominal trauma and follow up in patients with intraabdominal injury for detecting late complications.

Materials and methods: 120 patients who presented to the emergency room were evaluated by Focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) and follow-up sonography was done after 12–24 h.

Results: This study found FAST to be 93% sensitive and 99% specific.

Conclusion: Ultrasonography is considered the best modality in initial evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma patients as it is noninvasive, readily available, and requires minimal preparation time. Ultrasonography is very useful in follow up of patients with intra abdominal injury and decreases use of CT which has the disadvantages of being expensive, high dose radiation.

Keywords: Blunt; Abdominal; Trauma; Ultrasonography and CT