[The value of clinical aspects, laboratory and circulatory parameters in blunt abdominal trauma]

Within seven years 506 patients with blunt abdominal trauma were included into a prospective trial. The aim of the study was checking of the validity of clinical parameters, routinely performed laboratory examinations and of the initial circulatory situation in relation to an abdominal organ lesion. Three groups were separated out of the total collective: Group 1: Patients without abdominal lesion (N = 274). Group 2: Patients with abdominal lesion, verified by operation, sonography or CAT scan (N = 232). Group 3: Patients with rupture of the spleen (N = 107) (subgroup of 2). Among the clinical parameters: spontaneous abdominal pain, contusions marks, abdominal tenderness, shoulder pain, and abdominal palpation, the latter does have a high validity (92%). However, in group 1, more than half of the cases also had palpation pain. Shoulder pain has a high sensitivity. Of the laboratory parameters: hemoglobin, hematocrit and leucocytes, only the leucocyte count provided a certain importance: 83% of group 2 had values above 10,000. The circulatory parameters blood pressure and pulse as initial spot picture are of minor validity. Continuous registration of these values at clinical observation has much higher relevance indicating trends towards improvement or deterioration.