Accuracy of FAST scan in blunt abdominal trauma in a major London trauma centre.

Introduction: Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Rapid diagnosis and treatment with the Advanced Trauma Life Support guidelines are vital, leading to the development of Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST).

Methods: A retrospective study carried out from January 2007-2008 on all patients who presented with BAT and underwent FAST scan.

Procedural performance in gastrointestinal endoscopy: an assessment and self-appraisal tool.

Aims: Assessing endoscopic technical skills competency in a structured manner is a topical issue, in light of several workforce factors that may affect the training of future endoscopists. To date there has been little attempt to comprehensively assess both generic and specific technical skills in lower gastrointestinal endoscopies; the current study aimed to develop and validate a tool that can assess these varied skills.

Methods: Hierarchical task analyses of generic and specific technical skills were constructed on flexible sigmoidoscopy and colonoscopy after expert panel discussions.

Resection of soft tissue sarcomas with intra-operative magnetic resonance guidance.

Purpose: To report on a preliminary series of magnetic resonance (MR)-guided sarcoma resections.

Materials And Methods: Three patients with the skin sarcoma dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans underwent MR-guided resection.

Results: The extent of the tumor at MR imaging was greater in each case than suggested by clinical examination.