Implications of a negative abdominal CT in the management of pediatric blunt abdominal trauma

Abstract Background No consensus exists on management of children with a negative trauma CT following blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). Asymptomatic children are frequently "admitted for observation" following negative CT owing to concerns about missing an intraabdominal injury (IAI) without evidence for this practice. We aimed to investigate the feasibility of discharge following a negative CT scan in children sustaining blunt abdominal trauma. Methods Retrospective audit at a UK paediatric major trauma center and review of the literature. Results 108 patients were included (median age 11y; 60% male). Commonest mechanisms of injury: road traffic collisions (61 patients; 56%) and falls from a height (37; 34%). 40 (37%) had a normal CT scan, of whom 6 (15%) were discharged from ED. The remaining 34 patients were admitted, of whom 14 (41%) were discharged within 24h. The other 20 children were admitted for other specialty input. None of the 108 children had a missed IAI or reattended with suspicion of IAI. The NPV for CT to detect IAI was 100% (95% CI: 96%–100%). The literature search identified 3 observational cohort studies and 2 patient groups contained in a systematic review (total of 9149 patients with normal CT abdomen after BAT). Only 9 ( Conclusion Our study and literature review demonstrate that asymptomatic children with a normal abdominal CT scan in the ED are very unlikely to have IAI and that the NPV of CT is very high (96%–100%). Direct discharge from the ED is possible for asymptomatic children with a negative CT following blunt abdominal trauma, as long as no other reasons for admission exist and should be accompanied by safety-net advice. Level of evidence statement This is a level II evidence study. In itself it is a retrospective study, with the literature review including one large, high-quality prospective cohort study, and further prospective cohort studies of ordinary quality.