CT Detects Extent of Gunshot and Knife Wounds

By selecting such patients carefully, doctors operate only when necessary. The study was conducted at the Shock Trauma Center at the University of Maryland (Baltimore, MD, USA) by Dr. Kathirkamanathan Shanmuganathan, associate professor of radiology.

Dr. Shanmuganathan examined 95 men and nine women treated for knife or gunshot wounds to the torso. Although conventional x-rays in some cases demonstrated no need for surgery, a spiral CT scan provided a much better picture of internal damage. In 35 patients, a CT scan revealed a broken abdominal membrane, and 22 patients required surgery. Patients with negative results were not kept for observation for the standard three to five days but were released within 12 hours. Dr. Shanmuganathan points out that CT scans cost less than the daily cost of a hospital bed, so more CT scanning can reduce hospital costs.




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