RADIOLOGY ---FAST

Time for Focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST)

The primary objective of FAST is to identify hempoperitoneum in patients with suspected intraabdominal injury.

Indications:

• Blunt abdimonal trauma(BAT)
• Stable penetrating trauma
• Assessment of the degree of intraperitoneal free fluid
• Views;

Focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) should include views of
(1) the hepatorenal recess (Morison pouch), 
(2) the perisplenic view, 
(3) the subxiphoid pericardial window, and 
(4) the suprapubic window (Douglas pouch). 

• In extended FAST (E-FAST) examination , views of (1) the bilateral hemithoraces and (2) the upper anterior chest wall is also  obtained.

The benefits of the FAST examination include :

• Decreases the time to diagnosis for acute abdominal injury in BAT
• Helps accurately diagnose hemoperitoneum
• Helps assess the degree of hemoperitoneum in BAT
• Is noninvasive
• Can be integrated into the primary or secondary survey and can be performed quickly, without removing patients from the clinical arena
• Can be repeated for serial examinations
• Is safe in pregnant patients and children

TOTAL TIME TAKEN FOR FAST IS 4 T0 8 MINUTES 

REF:

Focused Abdominal Sonography in Trauma (FAST)
Col R Chaudhry, VSM*
, Lt Col A Galagali+
, Maj RV Narayanan#
MJAFI 2007; 63 : 62-63