Sreedhar Reddy Bijjula1, Ravindranath Reddy Kamireddy2
BACKGROUND
Abdominal injury constitutes a significant portion of all blunt and penetrating body injuries. As frequency of intra-abdominal injuries continues to increase worldwide, evaluation of patient with suspected abdominal injury is more complex. Ultrasonography is a fast technique, which can be brought to patient’s bedside and gives rapid information in unstable patients.
Objective of this study is to evaluate role of ultrasound in early diagnosis of intra-abdominal injury in cases of blunt abdominal trauma.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 100 patients with blunt abdominal trauma who underwent ultrasound examination were included. Ultrasound findings are compared with surgical findings wherever necessary. In few cases, ultrasound findings are confirmed on subsequent scans or by clinical outcome.
RESULTS
Among the 100 cases studied ultrasonography findings are positive in 97 cases, out of which 52 patients underwent surgery and the remaining managed conservatively. The age group of the patients ranging from 1 to 60 years, mean age being 28 years. Male:Female ratio was 94:6 with predominant male preponderance. In this study, the commonest organs affected were liver and spleen accounting for 34% and 26% respectively. The overall sensitivity of ultrasonography in identifying solid visceral organ injury was 80%.
CONCLUSION
Ultrasonography can be considered as best modality in initial evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma patients. It is non-invasive, readily available and requires minimal preparation time. Portable ultrasonography is useful in haemodynamically unstable bedside patients. Emergency ultrasonography can be concluded as the initial diagnostic modality for blunt abdominal trauma patients.
