The Role of Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) in Children with Stable Hemodynamics after Blunt Abdominal Trauma:the Spleen and Hepatic Rupture Case Series

Abstract

Introduction: The most prevalent type of abdominal trauma in children is blunt abdominal trauma (BAT). Traffic accidents and falls are the most prevalent causes of trauma. In this case, a CT scan is the gold standard for detecting BAT. However, there are several limits to this examination, particularly in terms of availability, cost, and radiation exposure. In BAT, FAST assists in the detection of intraabdominal free fluid. Case Description: Three pediatric patients with stable hemodynamics underwent BAT in this case series. All three patients were below 17 years old and had stomach discomfort due to a traffic accident. All three patients tested positive for FAST. Then, a contrast CT scan of the abdomen revealed a splenic rupture in the three patients and a splenic rupture and liver rupture in one of them. All the patients were hemodynamically stable before being treated with symptomatic medicines in a conservative (non-surgical) manner. All of the patients had satisfactory outcomes and could return home without undergoing surgery. Conclusion: Both FAST and CT scans do not affect therapeutic care, that were conservative management in these patients with stable hemodynamics. As a result, FAST may be a less expensive examination alternative, reducing radiation exposure and lowering the risk of cancer in children in the future.