CT scan with intravenous contrast is considered the gold standard in blunt and penetrating trauma.

    In this retrospective study, 35 patients who sustained blunt abdominal trauma and

had underwent dual-phase CT (AP and portal venous phase (PVP)) from December

2023 to October 2024 (11 months) were included.

Splenic injuries were detected 11, liver injuries were detected 17, kidney injuries

were detected 7.

     In these cases, the arterial and venous phases (20-30 s and 70-80 s of delay in acquiring the images, respectively) allow identification of almost all injuries and the addition of a 5-min delayed phase (excretory phase) permits the identification of urinary extravasation.  Some of the indications for delayed imaging include renal lacerations grade II or higher, substantial amount of fluid around the renal pelvis, macroscopic hematuria, pelvic fractures, or suspected bladder injury.

       Among the top reasons to not include delayed imaging in the standard protocol for all trauma patients is the attempt to limit radiation and the need to be time efficient in critically ill patients, in whom delayed phase imaging may be later performed if needed.