Characteristics of a Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) in Hollow Viscus Injury

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The usefulness of focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) is now included in the frame work of the advanced trauma life support for examination of thoraco- abdominal trauma. Ultrasonographic screening is controversial in patients with hollow viscus injury. The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of emergency trauma sonographic findings in patients with hollow viscus injury. METHODS: All patients with isolated viscus injury after blunt abdominal trauma were retrospectively enrolled in this study during the 5-year period from December 1997 to November 2002. The patients were screened by using ultrasonography and an underwent explolaparotomy. The patients were diagnosed with a hollow viscus injury based on the surgical findings. Patients with viscus injury combined with parenchymal organ injury after abdominal trauma were excluded. Ultrasonographic examinations were performed by the experienced emergency physicians during the trauma resuscitation. RESULTS: Sixty patients were included in this study. The most common injury site was jejunum (23.3%). The common findings of emergency trauma sonography were free fluid collection (56.7%), none of fluid collection (38.3%), free air and fluid collection (3.3%), and free air (1.7%). The presence of mesenteric injury was significantly associated with fluid collection (x2=0009). CONCLUSION: The most common sonographic findings in hollow viscus injury patients after blunt abdominal trauma are free intraperitoneal fluid (anechoic or mixed echo pattern), normal, and free air (reverberation) in that order. Massive intraperitoneal fluid is more often detected in patients who have a viscus injury combined with a ruptured mesenteric vessel.