Abstract
Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasound in detecting intraabdominal injuries in patients with blunt abdominal trauma.
Patients and Methods: The study was conducted in the department of radiology, Combined Military Hospital Lahore, from 13th September 2006 to 29th September 2007. A total of 70 patients with blunt abdominal trauma were included. They all underwent Ultrasonography (US) followed by Computed Tomographic (CT) scan of abdomen. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and accuracy of US in detecting intraabdominal injury were calculated keeping CT findings as gold standard. The cases in which laparotomy was performed; the surgical findings were taken as the standard.
Results: US examinations were positive in 34 patients. Of these, US showed free fluid in 18 (52.9%), and abdominal organ injury in 12 (35.3%) and only abdominal organ injury in 4 (11.8%). True-positive findings were seen in 28 (82.35%) of these on CT and/or laparotomy. There were two false negative cases. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of US in detecting intraabdominal injury were 93.3%, 85.0%, 82.3%, 94.4% and 88.5%, respectively.
Conclusion: Ultrasonography has high diagnostic performance in the screening of patients with blunt abdominal trauma. (Rawal Med J 2008;33:154-159).

Key words: Ultrasonography, Computed tomography, Blunt abdominal trauma.