Serial abdominal ultrasound in the setting of trauma

Ultrasound is gaining wide acceptance in Emergency Medicine as an inexpensi ve and accurate examination modality. One of the leading uses of this techn ology is in the initial assessment of the trauma patient, where the ultraso und examination is often used to determine the need for immediate laparotom y or further diagnostic study. We present a series of four patients, all of whom sustained blunt or penetrating abdominal trauma. In each case, the in itial screening abdominal ultrasound was negative for free intraperitoneal (i.p.) fluid but, when repeated by the same practitioner, became positive. These cases demonstrate the need for serial ultrasounds in evaluating the p atient with abdominal trauma. Future studies of trauma ultrasound should in vestigate the utility of serial sonographic examinations, (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.