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Focused emergency department sonography to determine presence of free fluid in trauma patients or enlarged aortas in patients with abdominal pain could improve evaluation and treatment. In a prospective, observational pilot study, researchers assessed whether specially trained paramedics could accurately perform Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) and abdominal aorta (AA) ultrasound examinations on patients in the field.
Twenty-five paramedics from two emergency medical services systems in Minnesota participated in a 6-hour didactic and practical training program and two 1-hour refresher courses during the 1-year study; in addition, online videos were available for review. FAST exams were performed in patients who experience…