Implications of Isolated Free Fluid in Pediatric Trauma Patients

The imaging finding of isolated free fluid in pediatric trauma patients is of unclear clinical significance. The study's purpose was to identify discriminatory features of isolated free fluid to determine which characteristics justify conservative management versus those concerning for radiologically occult injury, using a retrospective cohort study. We hypothesize that if free intraabdominal fluid is identified as an isolated finding in pediatric trauma patients by CT evaluation, then higher volume of fluid, fluid in more anatomic spaces, and more complex fluid may indicate a higher likelihood of an injury requiring surgical intervention.