Do signs of abdominal wall injury on computed tomography predict intra-abdominal injury in trauma patients with a seatbelt sign?

Background: A seatbelt sign in patients with blunt abdominal injury is associated with both abdominal wall and intra-abdominal injuries. This study aimed to assess the association between signs of abdominal wall injury on computed tomography (CT) and rates of intra-abdominal injury in patients with a blunt abdominal injury and a clinical seatbelt sign.

Methods: This study includes hemodynamically stable trauma patients with blunt abdominal injury and a clinical seatbelt sign who were hospitalized in two regional trauma centers in Israel, during 2014-2019. All data were collected via the medical center's trauma registry in both centers.

Results: We identified 123 stable blunt abdominal trauma patients with a seatbelt sign, of which 101 (82.1%) and 22 (17.9%) had a low-grade and high-grade abdominal wall injury according to CT findings, respectively. Laparotomy rates were significantly higher in patients with signs of high-grade abdominal wall injury (p<0.0001). No differences in the timing of laparotomy between low and high-grade injuries were found.

Conclusions: In stable patients with blunt abdominal trauma and a clinical seatbelt sign, the severity of abdominal wall injury, as represented by CT findings, may predict a need for surgical treatment.