[Ultrasonics and lavage in polytraumatized patients with blunt abdominal trauma]

The reliability of sonography and peritoneal lavage in assessing the need for immediate surgical intervention in blunt abdominal trauma was examined in a controlled prospective and retrospective study. Whereas no false results occurred using peritoneal lavage, false negative findings in sonography were 9.8% and false positive findings 3.9%. A significant difference was also found on retrospective evaluation of all cases with diagnostic peritoneal lavage (2.2% false results) and ultrasound investigations (14.9% false results). This demonstrates that sonography cannot fully replace peritoneal lavage as a diagnostic method in blunt abdominal trauma.