Extending the Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma Examination in Children

Across the United States, injuries from trauma are the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in children aged 19 years and younger. Over the past 2 decades, the “focused assessment with sonography for trauma” (FAST) examination has become a core application of emergency department ultrasound. In the last decade, the FAST examination has been “extended” to include evaluation of thoracic and extremity trauma. Use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in pediatric abdominal trauma has been investigated in Europe with promising results that may further extend the capabilities of FAST. This article will review the evidence base for the FAST and extended FAST examinations as applied to pediatric trauma patients.