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The role of diagnostic laparoscopy in the management of trauma patients: a preliminary assessment
- Source :
- The Journal of trauma. 34(4)
- Publication Year :
- 1993
-
Abstract
- This study evaluated the role and advantages of diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) compared with diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) in 75 trauma patients who were prospectively studied with DL followed by DPL. Of these, 59 patients had blunt injuries and 16 stab wounds. Seventy patients (93%) had the procedures performed in the emergency department (ED); 41 (59%) of these were awake and under local anesthesia. Forty-two patients had negative DPL and DL results with no subsequent sequelae. Twenty-three patients had negative DPL results and abnormal DL results. Of these, 20 were managed nonsurgically, and three (DPL < 10,000 RBC) underwent surgery based solely on DL findings of diaphragmatic lacerations from stab wounds. These were repaired. All 23 had an uneventful course. Three patients had positive DPL and insignificant DL findings. Laparotomy and DL findings correlated. A splenectomy for iatrogenic injury unrelated to DL and two nontherapeutic laparotomies were performed. Seven patients demonstrated both positive DPL and significant DL findings, and all had therapeutic laparotomies. Management based on DL rather than DPL would potentially have improved care in 8% of cases (6 of 75). Reliance on DL improved care in 19% (3 of 16) of patients with stab wounds and possibly could have in 3% (2 of 59) of those with blunt injuries. Management using DL would have potentially improved care in 30% (3 of 10) of patients with positive DPL findings and 5% (3 of 65) with negative DPL findings. Diagnostic laparoscopy can be performed safely in stable patients under local anesthesia in the ED. It offers no advantage over DPL as a primary assessment tool in blunt trauma. It does have advantages in the management of stab wounds. Diagnostic laparoscopy has a role in redefining DPL criteria for laparotomy and, in selected patients, as an adjunct to DPL, allowing further diagnosis and potentially the treatment of injuries without laparotomy.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
medicine.medical_treatment
Splenectomy
Abdominal Injuries
Wounds, Stab
Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
Wounds, Nonpenetrating
Diagnostic peritoneal lavage
Laparotomy
medicine
Humans
Local anesthesia
Peritoneal Lavage
Prospective Studies
Laparoscopy
Aged
medicine.diagnostic_test
business.industry
Emergency department
Middle Aged
Endoscopy
Surgery
Blunt trauma
Evaluation Studies as Topic
Female
business
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 00225282
- Volume :
- 34
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- The Journal of trauma
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....0803149eb6d8d5835a43d0c5c1af770f