Utility of lavage alkaline phosphatase in detection of isolated small intestinal injury

✍ Scribed by John A Marx; David Bar-Or; Ernest E Moore; John A Tercier

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1985
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 444 KB
• Volume: 14
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1097-6760
• DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(85)80726-5

✦ Synopsis

The ability of lavage alkaline phosphatase (LAP) to detect small intestinal injury was studded in 81 patients who underwent diagnostic peritoneal larage following blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma. Patients with a grossly positive lavage were excluded. The LAP of five patients with small intestinal injury (79.0 _+ 41.7 IU/L) was significantly greater than in 76 cases without (1.2 ± 0.4 IU/L; P < .05). LAP >1 3 was seen in six patients. Four had isolated small intestinal pathology, and one had combined small and large bowel injury. In three of these five, other lavage values were normal. One possible false positive occurred. The sensitivity of LAP >1 3 (100%) exceeded that of usual lavage parameters in the detection of small intestinal injury. LAP may be a sensitive marker for small intestinal pathology in the immediate postinjury period.