Prehospital and disaster medicine
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Prehosp Disaster Med · Dec 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialThe use of FAST scan by paramedics in mass-casualty incidents: a simulation study.
The Focused Abdominal Sonography in Trauma (FAST) scan is used to detect free fluid in the peritoneal cavity, or pericardium, to quickly assess for injuries needing immediate surgical intervention. Mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) are settings where paramedics must make triage decisions in minutes. The Simple Triage and Rapid Transport (START) system is used to prioritize transport. The FAST scan can be added to the triage of critical patients, and may aid in triage. ⋯ In this simulation study, paramedics had difficulty performing FAST scans with a high degree of accuracy. However, they were more apt to call a patient positive, limiting the likelihood for false-negative triage.