Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27561373›Full record

ArticleScandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine2016

Posttraumatic levels of liver enzymes can reduce the need for CT in children: a retrospective cohort study.

Peter James Bruhn, Lene Østerballe, Jens Hillingsø, Lars Bo Svendsen, Frederik Helgstrand

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scandinavian journal of trauma, resuscitation and emergency medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Peter James BruhnDepartment of Surgical Gastroenterology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark. peterjamesbruhn@gmail.com.
Lene ØsterballeDepartment of Surgical Gastroenterology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Jens HillingsøDepartment of Surgical Gastroenterology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Lars Bo SvendsenDepartment of Surgical Gastroenterology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 9, 2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.
Frederik HelgstrandDepartment of Surgical Gastroenterology, Køge Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Lykkebækvej 1, 4600, Køge, Denmark.
Rigshospitalet · DKUniversity of Copenhagen · DKZealand University Hospital Køge · DK

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundComputed tomography (CT) is the gold standard in the initial evaluation of the hemodynamically stable patient with suspected liver trauma. However, the adverse effects of radiation exposure are of specific concern in the pediatric population. It is therefore desirable to explore alternative diagnostic modalities. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) are hepatic enzymes, which are elevated in peripheral blood in relation to liver injury. The aim of the present study was to investigate a potential role of normal liver transaminase levels in the decision algorithm in suspected pediatric blunt liver trauma.

methodsRetrospective analysis of consecutively collected data from children (0-17 years) with blunt liver trauma, admitted to a single trauma centre in Denmark, between 2000 and 2013. Patients underwent abdominal CT during initial evaluation, and initial AST and/or ALT was measured. Based on local guidelines, we set the threshold for blood AST and ALT level to 50 IU/L. Nonparametric statistical tests were used.

resultsSixty consecutive children with liver injury following blunt abdominal trauma were enrolled in the study. All patients with normal AST and/or ALT level were treated conservatively with success. Information on both AST and ALT was available in 47 children. Of these 47 children, three children had AST and ALT levels ≤50 IU/L. These children suffered from grade I liver injuries, and were treated conservatively with no complications. DISCUSSION: All children who presented with blunt liver injury and AST and ALT levels ≤50 IU/L did not require treatment. These findings indicate that AST and ALT could be included in an updated management algorithm as a screening method to avoid abdominal CT. Notable limitations to the study was the retrospective method of data collection, without inclusion of a control group.

conclusionsCT seems superfluous in the initial evaluation of hemodynamically stable children with suspected blunt liver injury and blood AST and ALT levels ≤50 IU/L.

Indexed as

Tomography, X-Ray ComputedAbdominal InjuriesAdolescentAlanine TransaminaseAspartate AminotransferasesChildDenmarkFemaleHumansLiverMaleRetrospective StudiesWounds, NonpenetratingAlanine TransaminaseAspartate AminotransferasesBlunt liver injuryComputed tomographyLiver transaminasesPediatric liver injury

Identifiers

PMID27561373
PMCPMC5000516
OpenAlexW2507613994

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.