Abstract
Prospective studies have shown sensitivities of 73% to 88% and specificities of 98% to 100% for using the focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) examination to identify free fluid in adult trauma patients. However, the efficacy of FAST examinations for pediatric trauma patients has not been well defined, and studies looking at diagnostic performance have had varied results. We describe 3 cases of the potential pitfalls of the pediatric FAST examination in pediatric trauma patients using an advanced-processing ultrasound machine. We hypothesize several etiologies for these false-positive findings in the setting of advanced image-processing capabilities of point-of-care ultrasound. We also discuss the reevaluation of clinical algorithms and interpretation practices when using the FAST examination in pediatric trauma.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1637-1642 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine |
Volume | 38 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2019 |
Keywords
- emergency medicine
- focused assessment with sonography for trauma
- pediatric
- trauma
- ultrasound
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiological and Ultrasound Technology
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging