title: Peritoneal lavage for the evaluation of patients with equivocal signs after abdominal trauma.
abstract: The value of peritoneal lavage (PL) in the evaluation of 82 patients with equivocal signs after abdominal trauma was studied. The closed technique using an Intracatch (R) was employed. Fifty-four patients had blunt trauma, the predictive value of a positive PL was 86% and the predictive value of a negative PL was 94%, accuracy 94%. Twenty-eight patients had stab wounds, the figures in this group were 100%, 92% and 93%. No complications were seen. There were no retrieval of lavage fluid in 10% of the cases. PL with the closed Intracath (R) technique has the same diagnostic certainty as other methods, but is much quicker to perform and has no complications.
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating; D014951:Wounds, Stab