Prospective evaluation of hand-held focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) in blunt abdominal trauma.

Background: Ultrasonography (US) has become indispensable in assessing the status of the injured patient. Although hand-held US equipment is now commercially available and may expand the availability and speed of US in assessing the trauma patient, it has not been subjected to controlled evaluation in early trauma care.

Methods: A 2.

Selective use of electrolytic detachable and fibered coils to embolize a wide-neck giant splenic artery pseudoaneurysm.

We report on a 55-year-old woman with recurrent chronic pancreatitis complicated by a 7-cm splenic artery pseudoaneurysm. A therapeutic endovascular treatment was chosen because of the patient's high surgical risk. Initial embolization with fibered coils succeeded in thrombosing the aneurysm lumen, but the aneurysm neck remained patent.

The hand-held ultrasound examination for penetrating abdominal trauma.

Background: An evaluation of hand-held ultrasonography (US) in the assessment of penetrating torso trauma has not yet been reported.

Methods: A 2.4 kg hand-held ultrasound device was used to examine penetrating trauma victims in an exam designated as the Hand-Held Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (HHFAST).

Adopting the pre-hospital index for interfacility helicopter transport: a proposal.

Background: Interfacility helicopter transport is expensive without proven outcome benefit in trauma patients. Our objectives were to determine the fastest method of rural to urban interfacility transport, and develop a triage tool to identify patients most in need of rapid transport.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study.