Urinary tract injury in patients with blunt chest trauma: the value of postaortographic abdominal radiographs

Abstract

Patients who require thoracic aortography for blunt decelerating chest trauma often sustain injury to other organ systems due to the magnitude and mechanism of injury. Hospital records and radiographs of 117 consecutive, injured patients studied with thoracic aortography were evaluated to assess the accuracy, value, and limitations of postaortographic abdominal plain radiography for detection of major genitourinary injury. In summary, major urinary tract injury occurred with a frequency of 6%, enough to justify a rapid, low cost, noninvasive screening procedure. Postaortographic plain films of the abdomen were found to be an accurate (95%) screen for detection of major urinary tract injury. The sensitivity for detection of patients with renal injury was 100%. The ability to correctly predict patients who may be safely observed (no significant renal injury) was 100%. One limitation of this technique was the poor diagnostic quality found in 15% of the abdominal radiographs, most commonly caused by excessive superimposed bowel gas. Postaortographic pelvic radiographs were believed to be valuable for detection, but not exclusion, of bladder rupture.