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THE ROLE OF ULTRASOUND IN THE ASSESSMENT OF THE TRAUMA PATIENT
Author(s) -
Freeman Peter
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
australian journal of rural health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.48
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1440-1584
pISSN - 1038-5282
DOI - 10.1046/j.1440-1584.1999.00233.x
Subject(s) - medicine , focused assessment with sonography for trauma , ultrasound , abdominal trauma , blunt , diagnostic peritoneal lavage , laparotomy , radiology , clinical practice , blunt trauma , abdominal ultrasound , medical physics , nursing
Ultrasound assessment of the patient with blunt abdominal trauma will enhance diagnostic accuracy and facilitate decision making about the need for urgent surgery. Numerous studies have reported the role of ultrasound in the assessment of the trauma patient. Focused ultrasound has been shown to compare in sensitivity to diagnostic peritoneal lavage and is helpful in assessing the need for a laparotomy. Ultrasound is safe, cheap and portable. The investigation is non‐invasive and painless. The trauma ultrasound scan can be completed in under 3 minutes and should be performed during the initial trauma assessment. The technique is not difficult to learn. Advances in technology are likely to make portable ultrasound increasingly appropriate to rural clinical practice. Detection of haemoperitoneum will be more accurate when ultrasound is available in the early care of trauma on a 24 hour basis and, to achieve this, clinicians managing trauma will need to become competent in the application of the focused ultrasound exam.