scholarly journals Focused abdominal ultrasound for blunt trauma in an emergency department without advanced imaging or on-site surgical capability

CJEM ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 6 (06) ◽  
pp. 408-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Shuster ◽  
Riyad B. Abu-Laban ◽  
Jeff Boyd ◽  
Charles Gauthier ◽  
Sandra Mergler ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT:Objectives:To determine whether focused abdominal sonogram for trauma (FAST) in a rural hospital provides information that prompts immediate transfer to a tertiary care facility for patients with blunt abdominal trauma who would otherwise be discharged or held for observation.Methods:Prior to the study, participating emergency physicians underwent a minimum of 30 hours of ultrasound training. All patients who presented with blunt abdominal trauma to our rural hospital between Mar. 1, 2002, and Apr. 30, 2003, were eligible for study. Following a history and physical examination, the emergency physician documented his or her disposition decision. A FAST was then performed, and the disposition reconsidered in light of the FAST results.Results:Sixty-seven FAST exams were performed on 65 patients. Three examinations (4.5%) were true-positive (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9%–12.5%); 60 (89.6%) were true-negative (95% CI 79.7%–95.7%), 4 (6%) were false-negative (95% CI 1.7%–14.6%) and none (0%) were false-positive (95% CI 0%–5.4%). These values reflect sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive values of 43%, 100%, 94% and 100% respectively. FAST results did not alter the decision to transfer any patient (0%: 95% CI 0.0%–5.4%), although one positive FAST may have led to an expedited transfer. One of 38 patients who was discharged after a negative FAST study returned 24 hours later because of worsening symptoms, and was ultimately found to have splenic and pancreatic injuries.Conclusions:This study failed to demonstrate that FAST improves disposition decisions for patients with blunt abdominal trauma who are evaluated in a hospital without advanced imaging or on-site surgical capability. However, the study is not sufficiently powered to rule out a role for FAST in these circumstances, and our data suggest that up to 5.4% of transfer decisions could be influenced by FAST. Rural emergency physicians should not allow a negative FAST study to override a clinical indication for transfer to a trauma centre; however, positive FAST studies can be used to accelerate transfer for definitive treatment.

Author(s):  
Sameer Ahmed

Background: The initial evaluation of patient with multiple trauma is a challenging task. FAST (focussed assessment with sonography in trauma) provides a viable alternative to computed tomography in blunt abdominal trauma patient. The aim of this study was to find the accuracy and utility of FAST in clinical decision making, as well as limitations.Methods: A total of 100 patients with blunt abdominal trauma who underwent FAST examination were included. Positive scan was defined as the presence of free intraperitoneal fluid. The sonographic scoring for operating room triage in trauma (SSORTT Score) was calculated using cumulative sum of ultrasound score, systolic blood pressure, and pulse rate. FAST findings were compared with computed tomography findings and in operated cases compared with surgical findings & clinical outcome.Results: We determined SSORTT score in all 100 cases. In our study, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for FAST in identifying intraabdominal injuries were 93.9%, 94.2%, 87.5%, and 97.2%. In our study we found out that patients with a SSORTT score of 2 and above had a high likelihood of requiring a therapeutic laparotomy.Conclusions: In our study we found that FAST is a rapid, reproducible, portable and non-invasive bedside test, and can be performed at the same time as resuscitation. Ultrasound is limited mainly by its low sensitivity in directly demonstrating solid organs injuries.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. e274-e279
Author(s):  
Grahame E. Quan ◽  
John L. Kendall ◽  
Michael C. Bogseth ◽  
Michael L. Ruygrok ◽  
Kelsey A. Luoma ◽  
...  

Radiology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 229 (3) ◽  
pp. 766-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude B. Sirlin ◽  
Michèle A. Brown ◽  
Reena Deutsch ◽  
Olga A. Andrade-Barreto ◽  
Dale A. Fortlage ◽  
...  

CJEM ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 14 (01) ◽  
pp. 14-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Cardamore ◽  
Joe Nemeth ◽  
Christine Meyers

ABSTRACT Objectives: To quantify the current availability and use of bedside emergency department ultrasonography (EDUS) for blunt trauma at Canadian pediatric centres and to identify any perceived barriers to the use of bedside EDUS in such centres. Methods: An electronic survey was sent to 162 pediatric emergency physicians and 12 site directors from the 12 pediatric emergency departments across Canada. Results: Ninety-two percent (11 of 12) of centres completed the survey. The individual physician response rate was 65% (106 of 162), with 100% of site directors responding. Ultrasound machines were available in 45% (5 of 11) of centres. Forty-two percent (32 of 77) of emergency physicians working in equipped pediatric centres used bedside EDUS to evaluate blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). In the subgroup of staff who also worked at adults sites, the frequency of ultrasonography use for the evaluation of pediatric BAT was 75%. In the 55% (6 of 11) of centres without ultrasonography, 88% of staff intend to incorporate its use in the future and 81% indicated that they believed the incorporation of ultrasonography would have a positive impact on patient care. The main perceived barriers to the use of ultrasonography in the evaluation of BAT were a lack of training (41%) and a lack of equipment (26%). Conclusion: Bedside EDUS is currently used in almost half of pediatric trauma centres, a frequency that is significantly lower than adult centres. Physicians in pediatric centres who use ultrasonography report that it has a high utility, and a great majority of physicians at pediatric centres without EDUS plan to incorporate it in the future. The main reported barriers to its use are a lack of training and a lack of equipment availability.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 3298
Author(s):  
Rajkumar P. N. ◽  
Kushal Kumar T. R. ◽  
Deepak G.

Background: Trauma meets the pandemic criteria, with a daily worldwide mortality as high as 16000. Abdominal trauma remains a leading cause of mortality in all age groups. Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) mainly results from motor vehicle accident, fall from height and assaults. The commonest organ injured is the spleen, followed by the liver and small bowel. Lately, the management of BAT has changed from operative to non-operative management. This study was done to analyse the incidence, patterns, current management practiced, and challenges encountered in BAT treated operatively.Methods: This Prospective study was conducted in tertiary care centre in Bangalore during August 2015 to December 2017. 475 patients with blunt abdominal injuries who reported to emergency department were selected for the study based on following inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results: A total of 475 cases of BAT were assessed with a mean age of males and females was 32.6 and 28.3year respectively. Most patients (65%) were between 21 to 30 years of life. Most common mode of injury was motor vehicle accident (57.68%), 60% patients presented to hospital within the initial 4 hours. Abdominal CT had highest accuracy. Most common solid organ injury being spleen (26.5%). 80.84% patients were selected for SNOM and 15.62% had Failed SNOM. 28.48% patients had complications with most common complication wound infection followed by aspiration pneumonia and 7 patients had mortality.Conclusions: Initial resuscitation with thorough clinical examination with correct usage of imaging modalities with timely and proper decision making is the key of management of patients with BAT and there is a need to identify newer imaging modality/procedure which helps to determine better management scheme in all blunt trauma patients. 


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (11) ◽  
pp. 3713
Author(s):  
Arshid Iqbal Qadri ◽  
Younis Ahmad ◽  
Gowhar Aziz Bhat ◽  
Aamir A. Khan ◽  
Khalid Bashir

Background: Blunt abdominal trauma is a frequent cause for presentation of children to the Emergency Department. Children are prone to sustain injuries to intra-abdominal organs after blunt abdominal trauma because of their peculiar body habitus and relatively immature musculoskeletal system. Objectives of this study is to assess the various epidemiological parameters that influences the causation of trauma as well as injury pattern in blunt trauma abdomen in pediatric population.Methods: The present observational hospital based prospective study was carried out in 96 blunt abdominal trauma patients of both sexes aged up to 12 years, over a period of 2 years. The parameters such as age group, sex, mode of trauma, type of injury, and the overall mortality as well as mortality were assessed.Results: The most common mode of injury was road traffic accidents (54.2%) followed by fall from height (41.70%). Splenic injury was the most common in 58.30%, followed by hepatic injuries 34.40% and renal injuries 12.50 %. The accuracy of ultrasonography (USG) was 83.33% while accuracy of computed tomography (CECT) as a diagnostic test was 93.33%. When comparing USG findings with operative findings sensitivity of USG was 88% with positive predictive value (PPV) of 91.66% while as specificity was 60% with negative predictive value (NPV) of 50%. Sensitivity of CT scan was 96.00% with PPV of 96.00% and specificity of CECT scan was 80.00% with NPV of 80.00%.Conclusions: The majority of pediatric injuries are preventable by knowing the epidemiology and pattern of pediatric trauma.


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