Peritoneal lavage for the evaluation of patients with equivocal signs after abdominal trauma

The value of peritoneal lavage (PL) in the evaluation of 82 patients with equivocal signs after abdominal trauma was studied. The closed technique using an Intracatch (R) was employed. Fifty-four patients had blunt trauma, the predictive value of a positive PL was 86% and the predictive value of a negative PL was 94%, accuracy 94%. Twenty-eight patients had stab wounds, the figures in this group were 100%, 92% and 93%. No complications were seen. There were no retrieval of lavage fluid in 10% of the cases. PL with the closed Intracath (R) technique has the same diagnostic certainty as other methods, but is much quicker to perform and has no complications.