Katrin Eichler MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Martin Georg Mack MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Stefan Zangos MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Tatjana Gruber-Rouh, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Thomas Josef Vogl MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The purpose of the retrospective monocenter study was to evaluate a monophasic MDCT protocol with a fixed delay for patients with polytrauma in correlation to the clinical findings and follow-up.

All examinations were performed on a 16-slice multidetector row computed tomography system with a collimation of 16×1.5 mm and a reconstruction slice thickness of both 2 and 5 mm. For normal-sized patients, a voltage of 120 kV was used. The protocol used the CARE dose 4D automatic exposure control to optimize the current (mA) relative to body attenuation. For the injection of contrast media, we used a fixed protocol with an injection for an adult patient of 120 mL at a rate of 2 mL/s of a contrast medium containing 400 mg/mL iodine (Iomeprol; Imeron 400, 400 mg/ml iodine; Altana, Konstanz, Germany) followed by 60 ml NaCL.  

2086 consecutive patients with a median aged of 39.7 years (range from 1-96 years) including 1492 men and 594 women were evaluated retrospectively (1/2005 until 12/2009). 968 patients had an ISS score over 15. In the venous phase we detected all injuries of parenchyma and although all localized ongoing bleedings. Only in one case we needed an additional arterial scan of the aorta. There were no missed diagnoses reported that would have influenced patient management in any way. With regard to the easy feasibility and the lower ray strain and the quickness with only one scan, this protocol is to be favoured.  

Monophasic venous injection protocol can detect all injuries and should be preferred in the whole-body MDCT for patients with polytrauma.

In polytraumatised patients it is very important to have a save protocol to grasp in one venous scan all injuries, ongoing bleeding included.

Eichler, K, Mack, M, Zangos, S, Gruber-Rouh, T, Vogl, T, Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT): Evaluation of the Trauma Patient—Focus on Effectivity of a Simple CT Protocol.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11014944.html