[Emergency computed tomography in closed trauma of the chest and abdomen]

An analysis of using computed tomography (CT) in 152 patients with closed traumas of the chest and abdomen has shown that CT is indicated in cases of disagreements between the clinical picture and findings of the laboratory instrumental methods of examination when injuries of organs and tissues and development of early and late complications are suspected. The resolution of CT in closed trauma of the chest was at an average 97.3%, in closed trauma of the abdomen 94.9%. The possibility to perform the emergency CT in patients with a severe combined injury of the chest and abdomen during 24 hs a day allows injuries of the aorta, central and subcapsular hematomas of the liver and spleen to be diagnosed in a short time as well as the exact character of injuries of the pancreas and kidneys. CT is thought to be the method of choice for diagnosis of injuries of organs of the mediastinum and retroperitoneal space.