Case Report: FAST Ultrasound Interpretation in Trauma Resuscitation

Abstract

FAST Background: Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) is an integral adjunct to primary survey in trauma patients (1-4) and is incorporated into Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) algorithms (4). A collection of four discrete ultrasound probe examinations (pericardial sac, hepatorenal fossa (Morison’s pouch), splenorenal fossa, and pelvis/pouch of Douglas), it has been shown to be highly sensitive for detection of as little as 100cm3 of intraabdominal fluid (4,5), with a sensitivity quoted between 60-98%, specificity of 84-98%, and negative predictive value of 97-99% (3).