Comparison of Thoracic Ultrasound, Clinical Acumen, and Radiography in Patients with Minor Chest Injury

摘要

Background: This study was designed to compare ultrasonography, clinical findings, and radiography in the detection of rib and sternal fractures.Methods:In a prospective study, 88 patients presenting consecutively to an emergency department with isolated blunt chest injury of mild to moderate force were recruited.Results:Ultrasonography yielded a sensitivity of 80.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 69.5-88.5) for detecting chest wall fractures compared with sensitivities of 26.0 (95% CI, 15.8-36.3) for clinical acumen and 23.7 (95% CI, 14.7-34.8) for radiography.Conclusion: Early ultrasonography is more accurate than clinical and radio-logic evaluation at detecting rib and sternal fractures.