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Utilization of a clinical prediction rule for abdominal–pelvic CT scans in patients with blunt abdominal trauma

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Abstract

This study aims to determine if a clinical prediction (CP) rule to identify patients at low risk for intra-abdominal injury (IAI) is being utilized in patients undergoing abdominal computed tomography (CT) following blunt abdominal trauma. A retrospective review of adult patients with blunt abdominal trauma undergoing abdominal CT scans was performed. The CP rule was positive if any of the following were present: systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg; urinalysis >25 red blood cells/high power field; Glasgow Coma Scale score <14; abdominal tenderness; costal margin tenderness; femur fracture; hematocrit <30 %; or pneumothorax or rib fracture on chest X-ray. The CP rule was negative if all variables were negative. Acute intervention was defined as therapeutic laparotomy or angiographic embolization. All variables in the CP rule were obtained in 218/262 (83 %; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 78, 88 %) patients. Of the 44 patients without complete CP rule assessment, 1 (2.3 %; 95 % CI, 0.1 %, 12.0 %) had an IAI but did not undergo therapeutic intervention. IAI was present in 11 (6.7 %; 95 % CI, 3.4, 11.6 %) of the 165 patients with at least one CP rule positive and 4 (36 %; 95 % CI, 11, 69 %) underwent therapeutic intervention. In the CP rule-negative patients, IAI was identified in 1/53 (1.9 %; 95 % CI, 0, 10.1 %) and no therapeutic intervention was required. An important percentage of patients undergoing abdominal CT are not assessed for or have a negative CP rule. Improved implementation of this CP rule may reduce unnecessary abdominal CT scans in patients presenting with blunt abdominal trauma.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis Medical Center, 4860 Y Street, ACC Suite 3100, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA

    Michael T. Corwin, Lucas Sheen, Alan Kuramoto & Ramit Lamba

  2. Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine, 3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL, 60064, USA

    Sudharshan Parthasarathy

  3. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center, 4150V Street, PSSB Suite 2100, Sacramento, CA, 95817, USA

    James F. Holmes

Authors
  1. Michael T. Corwin
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  2. Lucas Sheen
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  3. Alan Kuramoto
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  5. Sudharshan Parthasarathy
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  6. James F. Holmes
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Correspondence to Michael T. Corwin.

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Corwin, M.T., Sheen, L., Kuramoto, A. et al. Utilization of a clinical prediction rule for abdominal–pelvic CT scans in patients with blunt abdominal trauma. Emerg Radiol 21, 571–576 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-014-1233-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10140-014-1233-1

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