Ultrasound evaluation of traumatic patient in a tertiary level hospital

This study was designed to assess the use of ultrasonography in evaluation of trauma patients to see any intraperitoneal collection, collection in pleural cavity, any vital organ injury or any localized collection in blunt trauma to abdomen. This cross sectional study was performed in patient having history of trauma who attended the Centre for Nuclear Medicine & Ultrasound (CNM&U), Mymensingh for ultrasonic evaluation. Ultrasonography scanning was done to see any intraperitoneal collection, pleural collection or vital organ injury. Vulnerable age, causes of trauma, types of organ injury and relation between ages & types of organ involved were also evaluated. Fifty patients were evaluated among those 44(88%) were male & 6(12%) were female. Ultrasonographic examination detected 26(52%) patients with intraperitoneal collection, 13(26%) patients with intraabdominal organ injury, 5(10%) patients with pleural collection. Liver (30%) is the mostly affected organ. It was also found that the most vulnerable age having trauma to abdomen was 11 to 30 (54%) years. The most common cause of trauma was road traffic accident (46%). Younger people were more vulnerable to liver and pancreatic injury, older people to splenic injury and middle aged to renal injury. Ultrasonography is a useful primary tool for evaluating traumatic patient specially to detect intraperitoneal collection and organ injury in country like Bangladesh where accidental injury is very common.