Pneumoperitoneum, seen as an air bubble on the lower left side of the X-ray film CT scan showing the liver and a kidney Ten percent of people with polytrauma who had no signs of abdominal injury did have evidence of such injuries using radiological imaging. Diagnostic techniques used include CT scanning, ultrasound, and X-ray. X-ray can help determine the path of a penetrating object and locate any foreign matter left in the wound, but may not be helpful in blunt<unk> . Diagnostic laparoscopy or exploratory laparotomy may also be performed if other diagnostic methods do not yield conclusive results. Ultrasound Ultrasound can detect fluid such as blood or gastrointestinal contents in the abdominal cavity, and it is a noninvasive procedure and relatively safe. CT scanning is the preferred technique for people who are not at immediate risk of shock, but since ultrasound can be performed right in an emergency room, the latter is recommended for people who are not stable enough to move to CT scanning. A normal ultrasound does not rule out all injuries. CT People with<unk>  frequently need CT scans for other<unk>  (for example, head or chest CT); in these cases abdominal CT can be performed at the same time without wasting time in patient care. CT is able to detect 76% of hollow viscous injuries so people who have negative scans are often observed and rechecked if they deteriorate. However, CT has been demonstrated to be useful in screening people with certain forms of<unk>  in order to avoid unnecessary laparotomies, which can significantly increase the cost and length of hospitalizations. A meta-analysis of CT use in penetrating<unk> s demonstrated sensitivity, specificity and accuracy >= 95%, with a PPV of 85% and an NPV of 98%. This suggests that CT is excellent for avoiding unnecessary laparotomies but must be augmented by other clinical criteria to determine the need for surgical exploration (23.37 positive likelihood ratio, 0.05 negative likelihood ratio). Peritoneal lavage Diagnostic peritoneal lavage is a controversial technique but can be used to detect injury to abdominal organs: a catheter is placed in the peritoneal cavity, and if fluid is present, it is aspirated and examined for blood or evidence of organ rupture. If this does not reveal evidence of injury, sterile saline is infused into the cavity and evacuated and examined for blood or other material. While peritoneal lavage is an accurate way to test for bleeding, it carries a risk of injuring the abdominal organs, may be difficult to perform, and may lead to unnecessary surgery; thus it has largely been replaced by ultrasound in Europe and North America. Classification<unk>  is divided into blunt and penetrating types. While penetrating<unk>  (PAT) is usually diagnosed based on clinical signs, diagnosis of blunt<unk>  is more likely to be delayed or altogether missed because clinical signs are less obvious. Blunt injuries predominate in rural areas, while penetrating ones are more frequent in urban settings. Penetrating<unk>  is further subdivided into stab wounds and gunshot wounds, which require different methods of treatment.
Abdominal trauma
Post-vagotomy diarrhea
Splenic injury
Pancreatic injury
Intra-abdominal infection
Major trauma
Biliary injury
Postoperative fever