Background. One of the most difficult problems in blunt trauma is eval
uation for potential intraabdominal injury. Admission for serial abdom
inal exams remains the standard of care after intraabdominal injury ha
s been initially excluded. We hypothesized a normal abdominal computed
tomography (CT) scan in a subgroup of minimally injured patients woul
d obviate admission for serial abdominal examinations, allowing safe d
ischarge from the emergency department (ED). Methods. We reviewed our
blunt trauma experience with patients admitted solely for serial abdom
inal examimations after a normal CT. Patients were identified from the
trauma registry at a Level I trauma center from July 1991 through Jun
e 1995. Patients with abnormal CTs, extraabdominal injuries necessitat
ing admission, hemodynamic abnormalities, a Glasgow Coma Scale less th
an 13, or injury severity scores (ISSs) greater than 15 were excluded.
Records of 238 patients remained; we reviewed them to determine the p
resence of missed abdominal injury. Results, None of the 238 patients
had a missed abdominal injury. Average ISS of these patients was 3.2 (
range, 0 to 10). Discharging these patients from the ED would result i
n a yearly cost savings of $32,874 to our medical system. Conclusions.
Abdominal CT scan is a safe and cost-effective screening tool in pati
ents with blunt trauma. A normal CT scan in minimally injured patients
allows safe discharge from the ED.