Evaluation of peritoneal lavage and abdominal paracentesis in cases of blunt abdominal trauma--a study of fifty cases.

Diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) is an accurate technique to diagnose abdominal visceral injury in blunt abdominal trauma. Four-quadrant abdominal paracentesis should be used routinely in all cases of blunt abdominal injuries as a diagnostic tool. The study included 50 cases in whom four-quadrant abdominal paracentesis was done at JN Medical College, Aligarh. There were 13 positive taps, out of which 12 were true positive and one was false positive. In all 37 negative taps DPL was done, out of which 23 had positive lavage, 22 had true positive and one had false negative results. All the patients with true positive peritoneal lavage had intra-abdominal injuries at laparotomy.