Trauma Analysis in Patients Examined by Whole-Body CT

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to assess the available information on patients with a whole-body CT and to ascertain whether the number of examinations could be reduced. MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective study included all patients who underwent a whole-body CT in the University Hospital Olomouc during a period of one year. Epidemiologic data of patients and information about the trauma and injuries suffered were collected. The injuries were assessed using the Abbreviated Injury Scale and the Injury Severity Score and classified as high- and low-energy injuries. These two groups were subsequently compared. RESULTS A total of 338 patients were examined, of whom 75% were male and the median age of all patients was 48 years. The most frequent causes of trauma were road accidents in 53% and falls from height in 25%. Ninety-one percent of examined patients were admitted to hospital, 42% underwent a surgery and 3% died. The average ISS was 10.7 and the severity of injury increased with age (p = 0.01). The patients after an attempted suicide and those after motorbike and bike accidents had the highest ISS observed. A higher ISS was detected more often in high-energy traumas than in low-energy traumas (p = 0.002). A completely negative polytrauma CT scan finding was observed in 5 patients with low-energy trauma and in 9 patients with high-energy trauma. CONCLUSIONS High-energy injuries were shown to be associated with higher severity as well as more negative CT scans than low-energy ones. Bearing in mind that a whole-body CT scan is an extensive examination in which relatively high doses of radiation are used, it should always be considered whether a selective CT of fewer body parts would not be sufficient for the diagnosis.