title: Peritoneal lavage in pediatric patients sustaining blunt abdominal trauma: a reappraisal.
abstract: One hundred twenty-eight patients from 0 to 18 years of age underwent diagnostic peritoneal lavage following blunt abdominal trauma. Seventy-eight had negative lavages and 50 were positive. Forty-one patients underwent exploratory celiotomy after positive lavage results. A review of the operative findings and need for surgical intervention led to the conclusion that 12 of these operations were not necessary. Due to the oversensitivity of peritoneal lavage a strongly positive result mandates further diagnostic evaluation unless the patient's clinical status requires exploratory celiotomy.
mesh_terms: D000007:Abdominal Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007813:Laparotomy; D008297:Male; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000175:diagnosis*