Miss Rate of Negative Computed Tomography in Children with Blunt Abdominal Trauma

Currently, no recommendations exist to guide safe emergency department discharge of hemodynamically stable children with blunt abdominal trauma and negative abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans. Researchers conducted a literature review to determine the prevalence of missed intra-abdominal injuries (IAIs) in such patients. Three prospective, observational cohort studies involving 2586 patients aged <18 years met inclusion criteria; all three studies were conducted at academic level I trauma centers where abdominal CT was performed with intravenous contrast only. The primary outcome, IAI, was defined as injury to a solid organ, gastrointestinal tract, urinary system, or intra-abdominal vasculature. The secondary outcome was the number of…