J. Hammond et Cg. Ward, THE USE OF TC-99 PYROPHOSPHATE SCANNING IN MANAGEMENT OF HIGH-VOLTAGEELECTRICAL INJURIES, The American surgeon, 60(11), 1994, pp. 886-888
The surface thermal burn associated with high voltage (HV) electrical
injuries represents only the tip of the iceberg. Occult muscle damage
may not become apparent for 5 to 10 days. In this study, the efficacy
of Technetium-99m (Tc) pyrophosphate scanning was investigated. Early
scanning (within 3 days of injury) of 19 limbs in 15 patients demonstr
ated a sensitivity of 75 per cent, with a specificity of 100 per cent.
The predictive value of a positive test, however, was 100 per cent. C
ompared to a control group of 17 patients treated without Tc scan, the
scan was not associated with reduced hospital length of stay or with
decrease in the number of surgical procedures.