Suspected Child Abuse: Follow-Up Skeletal Surveys Are Revealing

Almost one out of five children undergoing follow-up skeletal surveys had new fractures, more than half of which were multiple.

Follow-up skeletal surveys (FUSS) are recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics for children in whom abuse is suspected and whose initial skeletal survey was abnormal or equivocal. Investigators quantified the proportion of FUSS providing new information in children <10 years of age evaluated by 20 U.S. child abuse teams.

Of 2890 children evaluated, 2049 had initial skeletal surveys, with 471 injuries identified. FUSS were recommended for 1038 children and were obtained in 796 (77%).

FUSS identified new fractures in 124 (16%) of the 796 children, with more than half having multiple new fractures. The most common new fractures were rib fractures (51%), long-bone fractures (26%), and classic metaphyseal fractures (17%). In addition, 55 …

Reviewing Author

Katherine Bakes, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier)

Grant/Research SupportDepartment of Justice

Editorial BoardsEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier); Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (Elsevier)

Katherine Bakes, MD

Disclosures

RoyaltiesEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier)

Grant/Research SupportDepartment of Justice

Editorial BoardsEmergency Medicine Secrets (Elsevier); Rosen’s Emergency Medicine (Elsevier)