Table 4.

Outcomes for patients with suspected blunt abdominal trauma and evidence of free fluid or free gas (intraperitoneal) on initial cross-sectional imaging

	Initial CT findings
	Free fluid	Free gas	None
Immediate laparotomy (n=6)	–	–	6*
Early laparotomy (n=103)	60 (58%)	61 (59%)	0 (0%)
Delayed laparotomy (n=30)	20 (66%)	0 (0%)	8 (26%)
Death (n=170)	32 (19%)	12 (7%)	0 (0%)
Hollow viscus injury, 1st operation (n=92)	54 (59%)	61 (66%)	0 (0%)
Hollow viscus injury, 2nd operation (n=20)	14 (70%)	4 (20%)	0 (0%)

CT = computed tomography

*No imaging performed