title: Diagnostic peritoneal lavage: it's red but is it positive?
abstract: The aim of this study was to ascertain whether qualitative assessment could accurately determine a concentration of 100,000 RBC/mm3 in simulated peritoneal lavage fluid. The results show that the qualitative methods used are inaccurate and do not reliably predict a red cell concentration of 100,000 per mm3. We therefore recommend that the red cell concentration of peritoneal lavage fluid is always measured before the result is considered 'positive'.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Accident and Emergency Medicine, Hope Hospital, Salford, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hodgkinson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mackway-Jones
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis; D002983:Clinical Competence; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D006801:Humans; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity / Q000166:cytology*; D010533:Peritoneal Lavage; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis