title: Are pelvic radiographs needed in assault victims?
abstract: To determine the incidence of acute pelvic fractures in patients with a history of being assaulted. Retrospective review by two musculoskeletal radiologists of 357 consecutive patients in a 12-month period, (308 males, 49 females). Two hundred seventy-six patients also had pelvic CT scans done at the same time. There were no acute pelvic fractures in this group. One patient had a 12th rib fracture and two other patients had a total of three lumbar spine transverse process fractures at the L1, L2, and L5 levels. Pelvic radiographs are not needed as part of standard protocols for patients who present with a history of being assaulted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. MMulligan@UMM.edu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mulligan
authors.forename: Danit
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Talmi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010384:Pelvic Bones / Q000293:injuries*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014754:Violence