[Diagnostic peritoneal tap and lavage in blunt abdominal trauma (author's transl)]

179 times the diagnostic peritoneal tap and lavage showed a positive result in 450 patients with blunt abdominal trauma including 70 children and 290 patients with multiple injuries. Results were negative 221 times and weakly positive 55 times. With 2 false positive and 1 false negative result the reliability of lavage was above 99%.