Introduction: Pediatric ankle injuries are a common complaint in the emergency setting. The objective of this study was to prospectively validate the Ottawa ankle rules (OAR) in children in Mexico. This could reduce costs and waiting times in the emergency room.
Patients and methods: The authors applied the OAR to all patients aged 0 to 18 years old with an acute ankle injury. The main outcome measure was radiograph and/or clinical outcome determined through telephone contact. The presence of fracture was considered an adverse outcome.
Results: One hundred and eleven patients, aged 3-18 years, were enrolled. The prevalence of fractures was 15 %. The sensitivity and negative predictive value of the OAR were 100 %. Use of the OAR would have reduced the radiography rate by 5.4 %.
Conclusions: The sensitivity and applicability of the OAR in children in Latin-America are confirmed, although reduction in the use of radiography is lower than in other countries.