Ultrasound for Trauma

(See Table 2.) Since transporting the patient to the CT scanner may not be an option, but a clear indication for operative management may not yet be evident, bedside ultrasound can be used for the initial evaluation and can be repeated for deteriorating or not improving vital signs. [...]the FAST ex...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inTrauma Reports Vol. 14; no. 3
Main Authors Jain, Ashika, Menaker, Jay
Format Trade Publication Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Atlanta Relias Learning 01.05.2013
Subjects
College professors
Critical care
Emergency medical care
Emergency services
Fractures
Medicine
Optic nerve
Patients
Pediatrics
Trauma
Ultrasonic imaging
Vital signs
United States > US
Baltimore Maryland
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Summary:(See Table 2.) Since transporting the patient to the CT scanner may not be an option, but a clear indication for operative management may not yet be evident, bedside ultrasound can be used for the initial evaluation and can be repeated for deteriorating or not improving vital signs. [...]the FAST exam is limited in that it cannot give information about the retroperitoneum, localize hollow and viscus injury, nor definitely identify solid organ injury. [...]a negative FAST examination does not exclude abdominal injury, such as a diaphragm or hollow viscus wound, and further diagnostic investigation or serial exams are indicated for any patient with a concerning exam.18 Localizing the compartment of injury can be used to direct operative management. If air, as in the case of a pneumothorax, were to seep in between the parietal and visceral pleura, the deeper pleural layer would not be visualized due to the inability of medical ultrasound to penetrate through air. [...]since half of the sliding component is invisible, no sliding lung sign is seen. [...]if a patient has had any sort of lung process previously, the possibility of adhesions may cause air to be trapped in an area other than the zenith of the chest space. [...]the protocol includes looking around the chest space.22,23 Once the pleura have been identified, the ultrasound should be done in B mode as well as M mode.
ISSN:1531-1082
1945-7391