title: The use of ultrasonography as the initial diagnostic exploration in blunt renal trauma.
abstract: Fifty-four patients with blunt renal trauma underwent abdominal ultrasound as their initial diagnostic exploration if their hemodynamic status and associated injuries did not contraindicate unnecessary delays. Renal ultrasound allowed us to diagnose the injuries and to identify which patients required a more aggressive radiological exploration to obtain a diagnosis of certainty. At the same time we were able to certify that this technique is highly accurate in the diagnosis of lesions associated with gross hematuria. The noninvasiveness and low cost of this procedure makes it, in our experience, the technique of choice in the initial workup of blunt renal trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Hospital del Mar Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosales
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Arango
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coronado
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vesa
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maristany
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gelabert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006417:Hematuria / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000293:injuries*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D012421:Rupture; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*