Citation

Shih HC, Liu M, Wu JK, Hung MS, Ko TJ, Lee CH, Lui WY. Am. J. Emerg. Med. 1995; 13(1): 82-84.

Affiliation

Department of Emergency, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1995, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/0735-6757(95)90249-X

PMID

7832963

Abstract

The evaluation, management, and final outcome of 34 patients with blunt gastrointestinal injury (BGI) were reviewed. Initial absence of symptoms and signs led to two delayed diagnoses. Sonography provided 80% (12/15) positive-predictive value, and three false-negative patients were subsequently detected by diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL). Besides repeated clinical surveillance, screening by sonography complemented with DPL provided early detection of blunt bowel injury in trauma patients. In the outcome analysis, BGI patients with high injury-severity scores, intraoperative hypotension, or accompanying major medical diseases were associated significantly with increased risk of infectious complications (P < .05).

Language: en