Ecofast sensitivity for the diagnosis of abdominal trauma in the Regional Hospital of Encarnacion-Paraguay, period 2021-2022

Abstract

Introduction: Trauma is defined as a cellular alteration that is caused by an exchange of energy between the environment and the organism where it exceeds the resistance of the tissue, and that can be complicated by cell death secondary to ischemia/reperfusion. Objectives: To determine the sensitivity of Ecofast for the diagnosis of abdominal trauma at the Regional Hospital of Encarnación, period 2021-2022. Materials and methods: Descriptive, Observational, cross-sectional design, with an analytical component in patients with a diagnosis of abdominal trauma from the General Surgery Service of the Regional Hospital of Encarnación from January 2021 to October 2022. Results: During the study period, 75 patients with abdominal trauma attended the Regional Hospital of Encarnación; 83% male, and 17% female. 55% of patients were within a 50km radius; 64% corresponds to closed abdominal trauma and 36% open trauma. Surgical treatment was performed in 68% of the cases, and in 32% a conservative approach was chosen. The most injured organ was the spleen in 40%, followed by perforation of hollow viscera in 24%, kidney with 13% and liver with 10%. Conclusion: Ecofast in the emergency department is of high specificity, but low sensitivity, so in the event of a negative event it does not rule out abdominal pathologies, it will depend on the clinical and laboratory situation of the patient since the use of this method is operator dependent, therefore which may be biased due to this, but has the facility of being harmless, it can be performed several times according to the need and at the patient's feet.