BAT

[Andrew J Bowman]

When a major trauma hits your door, stabilize ABC's and arrange for prompt 
transfer out to higher level of care. You will be doing well by your 
patients instead of potentially harming them with this antiquated CT 
protocol.

Andrew
(also working in a small ER but do not have protocols like this)
(and no FAST/US either)

>>
>> I work at a small, rural ER (about 18, 000 annual ED volume).  We have no
>> FAST/Ultrasound immediately available at all times.  If we have a case of
>> blunt abdominal trauma & order a CT scan, our radiologist demands that we
>> have the patient drink oral contrast & wait 2 hours for the CT to be
>> performed.  It then takes another 30 minutes for the report to be
>> obtained.    What do other institutions currently do regarding the use of
>> oral contrast when obtaining abdominal/pelvic CT's for blunt abdominal
>> trauma in a hemodynamically stable patient-- with suspected internal
>> injuries?
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>