title: Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography in detection of blunt abdominal trauma and comparison of early and late ultrasonography 24 hours after trauma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the advantages of ultrasound scan, its use as a screening tool in blunt abdominal trauma is controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of early and late ultrasound in patients with blunt abdominal trauma (BAT).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study which was performed in a level I trauma center, firstly, 2418 patients with BAT had ultrasound (US) examination by two trauma expert radiologists. Results were compared with the best available gold standards such as laparotomy, CT, repeated ultrasound or clinical course follow-up. Then, 400 patients with BAT were examined by a trained residency student.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the first phase, sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and accuracy of ultrasound were 97%, 98.1%, 99.7%, 83% and 98% respectively. In the second phase, they were 97.3%, 97.2%, 97.7%, 96.8% and 97.3% for the early and 98.5%, 97.6%, 98.5%, 97.5% and 98% for the late ultrasound respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results obtained from this study indicate that negative ultrasound findings associated with negative clinical observation virtually exclude abdominal injury, and confirmation by performing other tests is unnecessary. High sensitivity and negative predictive value is achieved if ultrasound is performed by expert trauma radiologist.
authors.affiliation: Ali Feyzi, Assistant Professor of Radiology, Department of radiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feyzi
authors.affiliation: Masoud Pezeshki Rad, Associate Professor of Radiology, Department of radiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud Pezeshki
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Rad
authors.affiliation: Navid Ahanchi, Residency students of Radiology, Department of radiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Navid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahanchi
authors.affiliation: Jalil Firoozabadi, Residency students of Radiology, Department of radiology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
authors.forename: Jalil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Firoozabadi
keywords: Blunt abdominal trauma; Ultrasound Scan