title: Diagnostic errors with peritoneal lavage in patients with pelvic fractures.
abstract: Diagnostic peritoneal lavage, considered to be a highly accurate, technique for detecting intraperitoneal blood in the trauma patient, may be less reliable in the presence of a pelvic fracture. In a retrospective review of 222 patients with pelvic fractures, 61 patients were found who had had a diagnostic peritoneal lavage performed as part of the initial evaluation of their condition. Twenty-six of these patients had had a negative lavage result negative lavage result. There had been no false-negative results in this group, although six patients required operations for extraperitoneal injuries. Of the 35 patients with a positive lavage results, 10 (29%) were found to have false-positive lavage results with no intraperitoneal source of bleeding. The only deaths in this series occurred in the group requiring operations, eight of 41 (20%). Four of the eight detahs were due to uncontrollable bleeding that resulted from exploration of the retroperitoneal hematoma. These data suggest that a negative lavage result is highly reliable in the patient with a pelvic fracture and should allow management with confidence that there is no severe intraperitoneal injury. Positive lavage results, however, must be interpreted with caution.
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000150:complications*; D005596:Fractures, Closed / Q000150:complications*; D006400:Hematocrit; D006406:Hematoma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation