Role of Contrast-Enhanced CT in the Evaluation of Abdominal Trauma: A Prospective Study.

Background Abdominal trauma is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, necessitating accurate and timely diagnosis for effective management. Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) is widely utilized for evaluating abdominal injuries, but its diagnostic efficacy compared to other modalities like ultrasonography (FAST) and clinical examination warrants further investigation.This prospective study evaluates the role of contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) in the assessment of abdominal trauma, comparing its diagnostic accuracy with ultrasonography (FAST) and clinical examination Methods A total of 100 patients with abdominal trauma were included in this study. Patient demographics, injury mechanisms, organ injuries detected by CECT, severity of injuries (based on the AAST Organ Injury Scale), presence of hemoperitoneum, diagnostic accuracy of CECT, interventions based on CECT findings, complications, mortality rates, length of hospital stay, and follow-up outcomes were analyzed. Results The study comprised 65 males and 35 females, with the majority aged between 18-30 years. Road Traffic Accidents (50%) were the most common injury mechanism. CECT detected liver injuries in 30%, spleen in 25%, kidney in 20%, pancreas and intestines in 10% each, and multiple organs in 5%. Severity distribution was as follows: Grade I (20%), Grade II (25%), Grade III (30%), Grade IV (15%), and Grade V (10%). Hemoperitoneum was present in 40% of patients. CECT showed high diagnostic accuracy with 95% sensitivity, 90% specificity, 92% PPV, and 93% NPV. In comparison, FAST had 70% sensitivity and 75% specificity, while clinical examination had 65% sensitivity and 80% specificity. Interventions based on CECT findings included non-operative management (70%), surgical intervention (25%), and endovascular procedures (5%). Complications included infections (5%), re-bleeding (3%), and organ failure (2%). Mortality was 4%, predominantly due to severe multi-organ injury. The mean hospital stay was 10 days. At 3-month follow-up, 80% of patients had fully recovered, 15% had partial recovery, and 5% had long-term complications. Conclusion CECT is a highly sensitive and specific imaging modality for evaluating abdominal trauma, providing critical information for clinical management and significantly influencing patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]