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Chirurgia 2009 February;22(1):13-5

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

The FAST protocol (Focused Assessment with Sono-graphy in Trauma) in the closed abdominal trauma. An essential aid for the emergency surgery

Caiazzo P. ¹, Trivellini V. ²

¹ U.O. Pronto Soccorso Azienda Ospedaliera “S. Carlo” Potenza, Italia 2 Servizio di Radiologia Presidio Ospedaliero “S. Maria di Loreto Nuovo” ASL NA 1, Napoli, Italia

The Authors described the procedure of the emergency ultrasound of the patient in the emergency room with closed abdominal trauma; the “Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma”, after a few and easy actions, with a convex sound 3.5-5 Mhz, let to highlight the possibility of hemoperitoneum. The sensibilitiy of the ultrasounds for the hemoperitoneum in 80-100%, whit a specificity of 95-100% and a diagnostic care of 95-97%. In gran many Trauma Center the ultrasonography with F.A.S.T. guidelines is used in the way of D.P.L. and is now the methodology in screening of abdominal trauma. The smallest quantity of the free liquid into the peritoneal cavity that can be highlighted with the ultrasounds is about 100-440 cc. Many studies that had compared the diagnostic care of the FAST maked by radiologists, surgeons and doctors of Emergency Room don’t highlighted important differences. So the procedure can be performed by the emergency surgeon too, after an opportune training, and today represent an essential aid for the correct and quick classification of the critical patient into the shock room; if the patient has unstable hemodinamic parameters, must undergo a laparotomy in case of positive F.A.S.T.