PEDIATRIC BLUNT ABDOMINAL-TRAUMA - ROLE OF COMPUTED-TOMOGRAPHY VASCULAR BLUSH

Nonoperative management of blunt abdominal trauma is widely accepted i n pediatric patients. There are few factors prospectively available to predict reliably which children will not respond to nonoperative trea tment. Computed tomography scans demonstrating a vascular contrast blu sh are associated with arterial bleeding and the failure of nonoperati ve management of splenic injuries in adults. The authors describe five hemondynamically stable pediatric patients who have intraabdominal in jury and a characteristic vascular contrast blush who acutely did not respond to nonoperative treatment. Vascular blush may be an indication for early laparotomy in pediatric trauma patients. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.