E-FAST AS A DIAGNOSTIC METHOD TO ACCURATELY ASSESS LESIONS IN A PATIENT WITH TRAUMA

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: E-FAST is an emergency ultrasound coding protocol for patients with trauma, mainly abdominal, in a synthetic, targeted and simple way. e-FAST visualizes lung bases and lung-related injuries, in addition to intra-abdominal and pericardial bleeding. OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether e-FAST is a method with good sensitivity to accurately assess injuries in a stable trauma patient. METHODS: The study was carried out through an online search of scientific productions in international databases, from 2014 to 2022. RESULTS: Through the descriptors, 34 articles were identified, of which only 18 passed the inclusion criteria and exclusion. Of these, 10 articles were selected that responded to the objective, according to the content analysis. The overall sensitivity of the e-FAST examination technique (pneumothorax, pleural effusion, spleen injury, liver injury, gastrointestinal injury, pericardial effusion, intra-abdominal free fluid and bladder rupture ranged from 69% to 99% in its sensitivity. the specificity averaged 98%, the positive predictive value averaged 92%, and the negative predictive value averaged 98%, the accuracy rate averaged 98% across the evaluated studies. CONCLUSION: The main advantage of the method is that the diagnosis is fast, accurate, safe, without radiation effects, with good sensitivity and specificity. Its main disadvantage is that it is operator dependent. However, e-Fast has a high overall sensitivity and should be incorporated into routine assessment as a useful bedside tool to determine pneumothorax, pericardial effusion, and intra-abdominal free fluid in the setting of trauma.