title: Focused assessment with sonography in nontraumatized dogs and cats in the emergency and critical care setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the use of abdominal- and thoracic-focused assessment with sonography for trauma (AFAST and TFAST) in nontraumatized dogs and cats in the emergency and critical care setting and to compare prevalence of free fluid identified via these techniques between stable and unstable patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University Distributed Veterinary Learning Community.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred client-owned dogs and cats presenting to an emergency service with no evidence of trauma.
  
  
  METHODS
  AFAST and TFAST performed within 12 hours of presentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Free fluid was identified on AFAST or TFAST in 33% of dogs and cats in this study. Free fluid was identified in 27 of 36 (75%) cardiovascularly unstable or dyspneic patients, compared to 6 of 64 (9%) stable patients. A significantly greater proportion of unstable patients had free fluid compared to stable patients (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results of this study support the use of AFAST and TFAST to detect free fluid in nontraumatized dogs and cats in the emergency and critical care setting, particularly patients that are unstable on presentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N  4Z6, Canada.
authors.forename: Jantina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McMurray
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N  4Z6, Canada.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boysen
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N  4Z6, Canada.
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chalhoub
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000818:Animals; D001202:Ascitic Fluid; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002415:Cats; D003422:Critical Care; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004285:Dogs; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: AFAST; FAST; TFAST; diagnostic imaging; ultrasound