Incidental Findings on Whole-body Computed Tomography in Major Trauma Patients: Who and What?

PURPOSE: Whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) scans are frequently used for trauma patients, and sometimes, nontraumatic findings are observed. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of patients with nontraumatic findings on WBCT. METHODS: From 2013 to 2016, adult trauma patients who underwent WBCT were enrolled. The proportions of nontraumatic findings in different anatomical regions were studied. Nontraumatic findings were classified and evaluated as clinically important findings and findings that needed no further follow-up or treatment. The characteristics of the patients with nontraumatic findings were analyzed and compared with those of patients without nontraumatic findings. RESULTS: Two hundred seventeen patients were enrolled in this study during the 3-year study period, and 89 (41.0%) patients had nontraumatic findings. Nontraumatic findings were found more frequently in the abdomen (69.2%) than in the head/neck (17.3%) and chest regions (13.5%). In total, 31.3% of the findings needed further follow-up or treatment. Patients with nontraumatic findings that needed further management were significantly older than those without nontraumatic findings (57.3 vs. 38.9; P < .001), particularly those with abdominal nontraumatic findings (57.9 vs. 41.3; P < .001). A significantly higher proportion of women were observed in the group with head/neck nontraumatic findings that needed further management than in the group without nontraumatic findings (56.3% vs 24.9%; P = .015). CONCLUSIONS: Whole-body computed tomography could provide alternative benefits for nontraumatic findings. Whole-body computed tomography images should be read carefully for nontraumatic findings, particularly for elderly patients or the head/neck region of female patients. A comprehensive program for the follow-up of nontraumatic findings is needed.

[Bird species diversity and related protection measures in urban park green spaces of Loudi City, Hunan Province of China].

Urban park green space is an important physical part of urban ecosystem, and also, the important habitat and carrier for birds and other animals. Rapid urbanization induces the great change in the spatial pattern of urban park green space, while the patched distribution of urban park green space has the habitat features similar to 'habitat islands', giving obvious effects on urban avian communities. In order to understand the bird species distribution and species diversity in Loudi City and to provide the basic information for the bird conservation, a line transect method and a quadrat sampling method were adopted to investigate the distribution pattern and species richness of the birds across seven urban parks in the Loudi City from November, 2010 to January, 2012. A total of 56 birds species belonging to 11 orders and 27 families were recorded, among which, there were 32, 12 and 12 species belonging to resident birds, summer migrant birds and winter migrant birds, accounting for 57.2%, 21.4% and 21.4%, respectively. As for the fauna, there were 27, 14, and 15 bird species belonging to oriental species, palaearctic species and widely distributed species, accounting for 48.2%, 25.0% and 26.8%, respectively. A total of 7 species belonging to the second class of the national key protected species were recorded, accounting for 12.5% of the total. The Shannon, Pielou and G-F indices of the bird communities in the urban parks in Loudi City were 1.49, 0.85 and 0.62, respectively. Zhushan Park had the highest species number (42), Shannon index (1.41), G index (3.46), F index (6.12) and G-F index (0.43), and Yueqin Hill Park had the highest Pielou index (0.92). The reasons of the poor bird species in Loudi City were analyzed, and some suggestions for preventing the birds were put forward.