A radiologist’s perspective

Extract

Focused abdominal sonography in trauma (FAST) has in many centres replaced the diagnostic peritoneal lavage (DPL) for the early assessment of acute blunt abdominal trauma. In many cases a negative FAST obviates the need for further imaging and intervention. In well-trained hands, it is a very specific and relatively sensitive test for the detection of hemoperitoneum and has the advantage over DPL of being noninvasive. However, the introduction of this exam has raised many contentious issues around indications for the study, as well as who should perform and interpret the study. Ironically, the question of who should perform the test has in many ways overshadowed the issue of whether it should be performed at all.