Open AccessAbdominal CT Seanning in Critically III Surgical Patients
Author(s) -
Scott H. Norwood,
Joseph M. Civetta
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
annals of surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.153
H-Index - 309
eISSN - 1528-1140
pISSN - 0003-4932
DOI - 10.1097/00000658-198508000-00006
Subject(s) - medicine , critically ill , general surgery , surgery , radiology , intensive care medicine
Clinical parameters, intensive care unit (ICU) course, abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans, and the clinical decisions of 53 critically ill patients were reviewed to determine the influence of the CT scan. No scans were positive before the eighth day. Sensitivity was 48% and specificity, 64%. Seventeen (23%) scans of the 72 provided beneficial results: eight localized abscesses that were drained; nine were negative and not operated on. Five (7%) scans provided detrimental information: scan negative with abscess discovered or scan positive but negative laparotomy. Fifty (70%) scans were either of no help or not used in management. The mortality rate was 50% when CT led to an intervention, and 47% in the entire group. Hospital charges were +33,408. Personnel time and cost were 497 hours and +3658; of the total +37,066, 77% (+28,541) could be considered wasted. From these data, it was concluded that CT scans should be used to confirm abscesses, not to search for a source of sepsis.