G. V. Prasad1, A. Sarvottam2, Ranadheer Singh3
The role of imaging in abdominal trauma is to rapidly and reliably determine the presence or absence of intra-abdominal injury and to triage the patients for appropriate management as trauma is a time sensitive malady. Ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) have found an increasingly important role in the evaluation of abdominal trauma. The present study was to done to compare the relative roles of ultrasound and computed tomography in the evaluation of trauma and to effectively use these modalities in appropriate settings. METHODOLOGY: Patients presenting at the casualty department of SVRR Govt. General Hospital, following injury and suspected to have abdominal trauma were investigated. Forty three patients who were stable to undergo both US and CT examination and had at least one of these studies interpreted as positive were included in this study. US scans were performed to detect presence of free fluid in the abdomen and pelvis, in addition to assessment of individual organs. Contrast enhanced CT scans was performed. Free fluid with attenuation value >30 Hounsfield Units (HU) was labeled as hemoperitoneum. Patients undergoing conservative management were clinically followed up. Surgical findings were noted in those undergoing laparotomy. The outcome of surgical or conservative management was correlated with US and CT findings and the overall imaging findings were analyzed for their role in guiding the therapeutic options. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of US and CT were calculated.
