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The Focused Sonogram for Trauma (FAST)

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Atlas of Critical Care Echocardiography

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Abstract

The focused assessment for trauma (FAST) is commonly used to rapidly detect abdominal hemorrhage causing hypotension in trauma patients. Many centers are now performing the extended FAST (eFAST) which includes evaluating the chest for hemothorax and pneumothorax. In hypotensive trauma patients, fluid is assumed to be blood from traumatic hemorrhage and is an indication for intervention depending on the clinical scenario.

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Abbreviations

FAST:

Focused assessment with sonography in trauma

IVC:

Inferior vena cava

LUQ:

Left upper quadrant

PSL:

Parasternal long axis view

RUQ:

Right upper quadrant

SX:

Subxiphoid

TTE:

Transthoracic echocardiography

Suggested Reading

  • Lichtenstein DA, et al. Ultrasound diagnosis of occult pneumothorax. Critical Care Medicine. 2005;33(6):1231–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ma OJ, Mateer J, Blaivas M, editors. Critical care in emergency ultrasound. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional; 2007. p. 191–223.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weingart S, Duque D, Nelson B. The RUSH exam—rapid ultrasound for shock and hypotension; 2009.

    Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Kevin Flanagan

  2. Department of Surgery, Program in Trauma and Critical Care, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Sarah B. Murthi

Authors
  1. Kevin Flanagan
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  2. Sarah B. Murthi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah B. Murthi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Alexis Salerno

  2. Department of Surgery, Program in Trauma and Critical Care, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Daniel J. Haase

  3. Department of Surgery, Program in Trauma and Critical Care, R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Sarah B. Murthi

1 Electronic Supplementary Material

This video shows an example of a positive FAST in the LUQ with free fluid above the spleen (MP4 5882 kb)

This video shows an example of a positive FAST in the suprapubic view (MP4 6066 kb)

This video shows an example of a positive FAST in the subxiphoid view (MP4 3059 kb)

189640_1_En_19_MOESM4_ESM.mp4

Lung (eFAST) (AVI 298132 kb)

Video 4

Lung (eFAST) (AVI 298132 kb)

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Cite this chapter

Flanagan, K., Murthi, S.B. (2021). The Focused Sonogram for Trauma (FAST). In: Salerno, A., Haase, D.J., Murthi, S.B. (eds) Atlas of Critical Care Echocardiography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74687-2_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74687-2_19

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-74685-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-74687-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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