HAEMOPERITONEUM - VOLUMETRIC ASSESSMENT IN DECISION MAKING

Abstract

Trauma is the emerging public health problem world wide. It is the leading cause of death and
disability in the first four decade of life and is the third most common cause of death over all.
10% of trauma results in abdominal injuries which may be blunt in 84% and penetrating in
16%. Early detection of these life threatening injuries is most important factor in decreasing
incidence of death due to intraabdominal trauma.
[1]
Evaluation of patient who have sustained blunt trauma abdomen (BTA) may pose a significant
diagnostic challenge to the most seasoned trauma surgeons.
Trauma surgeons must have the ability to detect the presence of intraabdominal injury across
this entire spectrum. Due to recognised inadequacies of physical examination, trauma surgeons
have to rely upon number of diagnostic adjuncts. Commonly used modalities include focused
abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST), and computed tomography (CT). This study is
mainly concerned with whether the amount of haemoperitoneum in first ultrasonography was
helpful in decision making for exploration of blunt trauma abdomen patients.