A Research Study of Abdominal Ultrasound (FAST) in Children With Blunt Torso Trauma

Bleeding from intra-abdominal injuries is a leading cause of traumatic deaths in children. Abdominal CT is the reference standard test for diagnosing intra-abdominal injuries. Compelling reasons exist, however, to both aggressively evaluate injured children for intra-abdominal injuries with CT and to limit abdominal CT evaluation to solely those at non-negligible risk. The focused assessment sonography for trauma (FAST) examination can help focus patient evaluation in just this manner by potentially safely decreasing abdominal CT use in low risk children. This research study is a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial to determine whether use of the FAST examination, a bedside abdominal ultrasound, impacts care in 3,194 hemodynamically stable children with blunt abdominal trauma. The overall objectives of this proposal are 1) to determine the efficacy of using the FAST examination during the initial evaluation of children with blunt abdominal trauma, and 2) to identify factors associated with abdominal CT use in children considered very low risk for IAI after a negative FAST examination. The long-term objective of the research is to determine appropriate evaluation strategies to optimize the care of injured children, leading to improved quality of care and a reduction in morbidity and mortality.

Trauma is a leading cause of death in children in the US. Abdominal trauma accounts for 30% of all pediatric traumatic deaths, second only to traumatic brain injury. Although CT is the reference standard for diagnosing intra-abdominal injury, it is associated with ionizing radiation, inducing malignancies at an estimated rate of 1 per 500 abdominal CT scans in children <5 years and 1 per 600 scans in adolescents. Thus, CT use should be limited to those at non-negligible risk of intra-abdominal injury.

The Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) examination has also evolved as a diagnostic test for the evaluation for intra-abdominal injury; however, it is used primarily in adults. The FAST examination uses abdominal ultrasonography to detect the presence of intraperitoneal fluid in injured patients. If intraperitoneal fluid is identified following a traumatic injury, this fluid is presumed to be blood (hemoperitoneum). The FAST examination for detection of hemoperitoneum in trauma consists of several images. These include a right hepatorenal interface (Morison's pouch), perisplenic view, and longitudinal and transverse views of the pelvis.

Potential advantages of initial ED evaluation of the injured child using the FAST examination include: 1) bedside evaluation during initial patient ED evaluation and resuscitation; 2) rapid completion of the diagnostic test (within 3-5 minutes); 3) performance of the test and interpretation of results by ED physicians or trauma surgeons caring for the child; 4) no radiation exposure; and 5) reduced patient-care costs compared to routine use of abdominal CT. In adults, a positive FAST examination is the best predictor of intra-abdominal injury. In two adult randomized controlled trials, the use of FAST demonstrated improved patient care by decreasing abdominal CT use, complications and costs. Although the sensitivity of the FAST exam for intra-abdominal injury is lower than CT, as a screening test, it may decrease the need for abdominal CT in both low risk injured adults and children.

The long-term objective of this research study is to determine appropriate evaluation strategies to optimize the care of injured children, leading to improved quality of care and a reduction in morbidity and mortality. The specific aims of this proposal are to: 1) perform a randomized, controlled trial of the FAST examination in injured children and compare the frequency of abdominal CT scanning between children who are randomized to the FAST and non-FAST arms; 2) identify if an evaluation strategy including the FAST examination results in a similar frequency of missed or delayed diagnoses of intra-abdominal injuries than a strategy without the FAST examination; and 3) identify patient, physician, and system factors associated with obtaining abdominal CT scans in patients considered low risk for intra-abdominal injuries by the clinician after a negative FAST examination. Such a study has the potential for significant impact in improving the lives of injured children, if found to be successful.

This randomized controlled trial will follow the methods of the one prior randomized controlled trial of FAST in injured children which enrolled 925 injured children at a single center. This study incorporate a total of six centers to increase the sample size and generalizability of the results.