[Diagnostic peritoneal lavage in blunt abdominal trauma]

Peritoneal lavage was performed in 142 of 331 patients submitted to hospital after blunt abdominal trauma. The lavage catheter was introduced through a short infra-umbilical longitudinal incision with surgically controlled access to the peritoneal cavity. First time lavage was positive in 58 out of 68 patients in demand of laparotomy, and after repeated lavages in 66 of 68. In 12 patients there was a false positive lavage. The sensitivity was 97% and the specificity 84%. Negative lavage strongly indicates that laparotomy is not necessary. A positive test as an indication for laparotomy should be regarded with reservation. The method is simple to perform and represents a valuable supplement to clinical evaluation in patients with blunt abdominal trauma.