PTC Course/Focussed Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) Scan

Medical knowledge data
Part of	PTC Course SELF/Trauma
Acting roles	AEMT EMR EMT paramedic ED

Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) is a limited ultrasound examination used for identifying the presence of free intraperitoneal or pericardial fluid.

Comparison of Options for Assessment

	DPL	FAST	CT Scan
Time	Rapid/Intermediate	Rapid	Rapid
Transport/Transfer	Not Required Can be Conducted in an Operating Theatre	Not Required	Transfer Required
Sensitivity	High	High? - Operator Dependent		High
Specificity	Low	Intermediate	High
Eligibility	All Patients if Suspected Injury and No Radiology Available Contraindications: Pregnant Women Previous Abdominal Surgery	All Patients	Haemodynamically Stable - Takes Time

In patients with traumatic injury, free fluid is usually due to haemorrhage and contributes to the assessment of the circulation

Glossary

DPL: Diagnostic Peritoneal lavage,

FAST: Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma

CT Scan: Computerised Tomogram Scan.

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Authors	Matthew Arnaouti
License	CC-BY-SA-4.0
Language	English (en)
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Created	October 8, 2022 by Matthew Arnaouti
Last edit	November 14, 2025 by Felipe Schenone
Cite as	Matthew Arnaouti (2022–2025). "PTC Course/Focussed Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) Scan". Appropedia. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
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