title: From FAST to E-FAST: an overview of the evolution of ultrasound-based traumatic injury assessment.
abstract: Ultrasound is a ubiquitous and versatile diagnostic tool. In the setting of acute injury, ultrasound enhances the basic trauma evaluation, influences bedside decision-making, and helps determine whether or not an unstable patient requires emergent procedural intervention. Consequently, continued education of surgeons and other acute care practitioners in performing focused emergency ultrasound is of great importance. This article provides a synopsis of focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) and the extended FAST (E-FAST) that incorporates basic thoracic injury assessment. The authors also review key pitfalls, limitations, controversies, and advances related to FAST, E-FAST, and ultrasound education.
authors.affiliation: St Luke's Regional Level I Resource Trauma Center, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Montoya
authors.affiliation: St Luke's Regional Level I Resource Trauma Center, Bethlehem, PA, USA. stawicki.ace@gmail.com.|Department of Research and Innovation, St Luke's University Health Network, Bethlehem, PA, 18015, USA. stawicki.ace@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Stawicki
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Trauma, Critical Care, and Burn, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Bahner
authors.affiliation: St Luke's Regional Level I Resource Trauma Center, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sparks
authors.affiliation: St Luke's Regional Level I Resource Trauma Center, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.affiliation: St Luke's Regional Level I Resource Trauma Center, Bethlehem, PA, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cipolla
mesh_terms: D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000639:trends; D063189:Symptom Assessment / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
keywords: Abdominal trauma; FAST; Pneumothorax; Point-of-care testing; Thoracic trauma; Ultrasound