Ruling Out Abdominal Organ Injury in Children with Blunt Trauma

A new clinical score identified nearly all children with abdominal organ injury after trauma.

History and physical exam provide limited information for detecting intra-abdominal injury in children with blunt abdominal trauma. A reliable method for identifying children who require abdominal computed tomography (CT) would decrease radiation and contrast exposure and improve efficiency of care. In a prospective observational study, these authors used clinical data for 147 consecutive children with blunt abdominal trauma who were admitted to a Swiss tertiary care hospital to develop a decision rule for excluding intra-abdominal organ injuries.

All patients underwent extensive laboratory testing and abdominal ultrasound for assessment of renal artery Doppler flow by a radiologist; patients with abnormal laboratory or ultrasound findings u…

Reviewing Author

Daniel J. Pallin, MD, MPH