Computed tomography in blunt abdominal trauma
M. P. Federle, R. A. Crass, R. B. Jeffrey and D. D. Trunkey
Emergency abdominal computed tomography (CT) has been performed in more
than 200 cases of acute blunt abdominal trauma. Computed tomography was
highly sensitive and specific for a wide variety of intraperitoneal and
retroperitoneal traumatic lesions. There were no false-positive or
false-negative CT interpretations, except for a single case in which
residual peritoneal lavage fluid was mistaken for intraperitoneal blood.
Computed tomobraphy has major advantages over otherradiologic techniques,
including angiography, and may obviate peritoneal lavage and explo4atory
laparatomy in some circumstances.
