Ultrasound And Supine Chest Radiograph In Road Traffic Accident Patients: A Reliable And Convenient Way To Diagnose...

Area of Science:

• Emergency Medicine
• Radiology
• Trauma Care

Background:

• Traumatic pleural effusion diagnosis in road traffic accident (RTA) patients presents challenges.
• Portable ultrasound and supine chest radiography (CXR) are initial imaging modalities.
• Computed tomography (CT) scan serves as the gold standard for pleural effusion confirmation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution ultrasound and supine chest X-ray.
• To evaluate their effectiveness in detecting pleural effusion in RTA patients.
• To establish their utility relative to CT scan findings.

Main Methods:

• A study involving 80 trauma patients with RTA history was conducted.
• Portable bedside ultrasound and supine chest radiography were performed.
• CT scan of the chest was utilized as the gold standard for comparison.

Main Results:

• Ultrasound demonstrated higher sensitivity (88.23%) compared to CXR (77.94%).
• Both modalities exhibited similar specificity (100%).
• Ultrasound achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 90%, superior to CXR's 81.25%.

Conclusions:

• Ultrasound and chest X-ray are valuable adjuncts to CT in RTA patients.
• These methods are readily available, non-invasive, and involve minimal radiation risk.
• Bedside ultrasound offers a sensitive and specific alternative for initial pleural effusion assessment.