Objective: We retrospectively investigated whether or not the measurement of the diameter of the inferior vena cava (IVC) was useful for predicting the development of anemia.
Methods: We performed a medical chart review to seek patients who were younger than 12 years, were experiencing blunt injury, and received an abdominal computed tomographic scan immediately after fluid resuscitation in the emergency room to evaluate the extent of their abdominal injury. The subjects were divided into 2 groups. The first group consisted of patients with anemia and the second group consisted of patients without anemia (the control). The following variables were then analyzed in each of the 2 groups: background, physiological data, incidence of blood transfusion, diameter of IVC, abdominal aorta (Ao), and IVC/Ao ratio.
Results: The diameter of IVC and the IVC/Ao ratio in the anemia group were significantly smaller than those of the control group. The heart rate, injury severity score, and incidence of transfusion in the anemia group were significantly greater in comparison to those of the control group. Using a multiple logistic regression analysis, the diameter of IVC (odds ratio, 0.375; 95% confidence interval, 0.168-0.839; P = 0.01) was found to be an isolated factor independently associated with the development of anemia.
Conclusions: To predict the development of anemia, the measurement of the IVC for blunt-injured children may be a useful modality.