A seatbelt sign following a car accident: look for internal abdominal injury
De Jong, V.M.; van der Vlies, C.H.K.; Luitse, J.; Meier, M.A.; Ponsen, K.-a.; Goslings, J.C.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 154: A1950
2010
ISSN/ISBN: 1876-8784 PMID: 21029483 Document Number: 640553
We present three patients, a 55-year-old man, a 69-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man, with a seatbelt sign following a car accident. All 3 patients exhibited various injuries that may occur in the case of a blunt trauma, for example rib fractures. In one patient, however, symptoms of internal abdominal injury occurred several days after the accident. The presence of a seatbelt sign is associated with an increased risk of internal abdominal injury. We therefore advise a CT scan of the abdomen in patients who present with a seatbelt sign, even if abdominal ultrasound does not reveal signs of injury.