Efficacy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in initial trauma assessment using the e-fast protocol A single-center observational study.

Abstract

Introduction: Trauma is defined as any injury resulting from an external force that affects two or more organs, or at least one injury that endangers a person's life. The most common cause of trauma is related to car accidents, followed by penetrating trauma; within this category, gunshot wounds are prominent. The management of trauma patients has been outlined in guidelines and protocols, which include various scales to assess survival prognosis and evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic tools such as ultrasound. The main objective was to establish the efficacy of point-of-care ultrasound in the initial assessment of trauma using the eFAST protocol.

Methodology: This study had a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional, prospective, analytical, and observational design.

Results: Most trauma cases involved abdominal injuries. Of the 63 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 12 tested positive and 51 tested negative. Sensitivity was 91.7%, specificity 100%, positive predictive value 100%, and negative predictive value 98.1%. Discussion: The diagnostic results of eFAST evaluation in trauma patients align with previous studies, including the levels of sensitivity and specificity.

Conclusion: The diagnoses obtained with the eFAST protocol closely matched the definitive diagnoses, demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity.