Prevalence of Positive Focused Assessment With Sonography in Trauma and Its Association with Abdominal Surgery in Asymptomatic Blunt Trauma Patients: A Retrospective Study

Introductio: Focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST) is widely used during initial trauma evaluation. However, its clinical value in hemodynamically stable and asymptomatic patients remains uncertain, particularly given the potentially limited clinical utility in this population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of positive FAST findings in asymptomatic blunt trauma patients and evaluate the association between FAST positivity and subsequent abdominal surgery. Methods: This retrospective study included ۱۰۰۰ consecutive asymptomatic trauma patients with stable vital signs presenting to two tertiary hospitals between ۲۰۲۲ and ۲۰۲۳. FAST results, demographic characteristics, and need for abdominal surgery were extracted from medical records. Comparisons between FAST-positive and FAST-negative groups were performed using independent t-tests and chi-square or Fisher's exact tests. A P value < ۰.۰۵ was considered statistically significant. Results: Positive FAST findings were observed in ۱۲ patients (۱.۲%; ۹۵% CI: ۰.۷–۲.۱%). Five of these patients (۴۱.۷%) underwent abdominal surgery, while no surgeries occurred in FAST-negative patients (P<۰.۰۰۱). Due to the lack of systematic computed tomography imaging, the presence of missed non-operative injuries among FAST-negative patients could not be excluded. The small number of positive cases (n=۱۲) resulted in wide confidence intervals and limited inferential power. Conclusion: FAST positivity was uncommon among asymptomatic trauma patients. Although positive findings were associated with surgical intervention, the study design does not permit assessment of true diagnostic performance. Selective rather than routine use of FAST in this low-risk population may warrant consideration. Key words: Abdomen, Asymptomatic diseases, General surgery, Ultrasonography, Wounds and injuries

کلیدواژه ها:

Abdomen ، Asymptomatic diseases ، General surgery ، Ultrasonography ، Wounds and injuries