title: Diagnostic peritoneal lavage: fourteen years and 2,586 patients later.
abstract: During a fourteen year period, diagnostic peritoneal lavage was 98.5 per cent accurate in determining the presence or absence of blunt intraabdominal injuries among 2,586 patients. Of these, 69.4 per cent had a negative lavage and 29.2 per cent a positive lavage. Six patients (0.2 per cent) had a false-positive lavage. Thirty-two patients (1.2 per cent) had a false-negative lavage; however, all but one of these patients underwent exploratory laparotomy on the basis of clinical acumen or other diagnostic tests.
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006465:Hemoperitoneum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity; D011247:Pregnancy; D013396:Suction; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods*; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis*