[How much experience is required for ultrasound diagnosis of blunt abdominal trauma?]

Between July, 1st 1989 and June, 30th 1991, 312 patients were entered into a prospective study concerning the reliability of sonographic evidence in blunt abdominal trauma. There were 231 male and 81 female patients aged between 15 and 88 years (mean: 39.9 years). The sonographic team consisted of one experienced sonographer/surgeon (greater than 4000 examinations) and 3 sonographic beginners (less than 200 examinations at the start of the study). The experienced sonographer and the beginners examined 168 and 144 patients, respectively. Patient distribution to the two groups was done according to the sonographic duty roster without consideration of injury severity. The examination was performed with a mobile ultrasound unit at the surgical intake as part of the primary diagnostic work-up. It consisted of four sonographic views (right and left lateral longitudinal, suprapubic and epigastric transverse view) and took about 2 min. Clinical evidence supporting blunt abdominal trauma could only be found in 64 cases, while in 153 patients physical examination was equivocal due to assisted ventilation or paraplegia. Sensitivity and specificity for the clinical examination amounted to 80.6% and 44.5%, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for the sonographic finding of intraabdominal liquid were 100% each for the experienced sonographer and 96% and 100%, respectively for the beginners. Organ lesions were demonstrated with a sensitivity and specificity of 45% and 99% by the experienced and 36% and 100% by the beginners. The experienced sonographer misdiagnosed one case of free intraabdominal gas, which could not be corroborated both by clinical and radiological evidence.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)