POCUS in Abdominal Trauma: Old Gadget, New Insights

Abstract

Abdominal trauma is difficult to identify, especially in a patient with multiple injuries. Mechanism of injury can guide us to the likely organs injured, but the extent and location cannot be accurately pinpointed in most cases. Owing to the multitude of structures located in the abdomen, timely identification and appropriate intervention are crucial to ensure the good patient outcomes. Focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) and its extended version (eFAST) has become the standard care as per ATLS guidelines in patient evaluation. The main goal is to identify hemoperitoneum, hemothorax, and/or pneumothorax. However, sonography can be applied to detect varying injuries to abdominal viscera, beyond the elementary eFAST examination. This includes assessment of solid organs, hollow viscus, vascular structures, and even soft tissues. Sonography, when wielded with necessary knowledge and practice, can be an incredible asset at the bedside. This chapter aims to explore these possible applications of point of care ultrasonography (POCUS) in abdominal trauma.