AIM: To assess the role of follow-up imaging in paediatric blunt abdominal trauma. METHOD: All children who underwent CT scanning of their abdomen at our institution following acute blunt injury between January 1997 and December 2000 were included in the study. Case notes where researched for details regarding mechanism of injury, initial clinical presentation, acute management, complications and follow-up until discharge. Reports of imaging investigations were retrieved from the RIS database. RESULTS: In the study period 75 children underwent CT scanning of their abdomen as a primary investigation for acute blunt abdominal trauma. Of these, 12 were normal, 52 showed evidence of intra-abdominal organ injury and 11 showed findings other than abdominal organ injury. Of the 52 children that sustained intra-abdominal organ injury, 48 (92 percent) were treated conservatively. 4 (8 percent) underwent emergency surgery, 3 for bowel injury and 1 for renal trauma. Of the 48 that were treated conservatively, 9 had a complicated clinical course with 7 showing complications on follow-up imaging. The remaining 39 children had an uneventful clinical course with follow-up imaging by CT or US in 34. None showed complications that required a change in management. CONCLUSION: In our series, follow-up imaging did not contribute to further management in children with an uncomplicated clinical course following blunt abdominal trauma.
AIM: To assess the role of follow-up imaging in paediatric blunt abdominal trauma. METHOD: All children who underwent CT scanning of their abdomen at our institution following acute blunt injury between January 1997 and December 2000 were included in the study. Case notes where researched for details regarding mechanism of injury, initial clinical presentation, acute management, complications and follow-up until discharge. Reports of imaging investigations were retrieved from the RIS database. RESULTS: In the study period 75 children underwent CT scanning of their abdomen as a primary investigation for acute blunt abdominal trauma. Of these, 12 were normal, 52 showed evidence of intra-abdominal organ injury and 11 showed findings other than abdominal organ injury. Of the 52 children that sustained intra-abdominal organ injury, 48 (92 percent) were treated conservatively. 4 (8 percent) underwent emergency surgery, 3 for bowel injury and 1 for renal trauma. Of the 48 that were treated conservatively, 9 had a complicated clinical course with 7 showing complications on follow-up imaging. The remaining 39 children had an uneventful clinical course with follow-up imaging by CT or US in 34. None showed complications that required a change in management. CONCLUSION: In our series, follow-up imaging did not contribute to further management in children with an uncomplicated clinical course following blunt abdominal trauma.
Authors: Federico Coccolini; Ernest E Moore; Yoram Kluger; Walter Biffl; Ari Leppaniemi; Yosuke Matsumura; Fernando Kim; Andrew B Peitzman; Gustavo P Fraga; Massimo Sartelli; Luca Ansaloni; Goran Augustin; Andrew Kirkpatrick; Fikri Abu-Zidan; Imitiaz Wani; Dieter Weber; Emmanouil Pikoulis; Martha Larrea; Catherine Arvieux; Vassil Manchev; Viktor Reva; Raul Coimbra; Vladimir Khokha; Alain Chichom Mefire; Carlos Ordonez; Massimo Chiarugi; Fernando Machado; Boris Sakakushev; Junichi Matsumoto; Ron Maier; Isidoro di Carlo; Fausto Catena Journal: World J Emerg Surg Date: 2019-12-02 Impact factor: 5.469