- Type Experience
- Level Foundational
- Time Hours
- Cost N/A
E-FAST Exam Badge (Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma)
Issued by
Fayetteville Technical Community College
E-FAST exam utilizing ultrasound for Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics is a professional development program designed to rapidly detect internal bleeding. E-FAST allows EMTs and Paramedics to quickly identify free fluid around the heart and the pelvis, which is likely caused by blood in the abdomen. A positive E-FAST exam can help emergency personnel determine if a patient needs urgent transport to a trauma center rather than a lower-level local hospital.
- Type Experience
- Level Foundational
- Time Hours
- Cost N/A
Skills
Earning Criteria
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Engage in a comprehensive exploration of key anatomical and physiological structures relevant to performing the E-FAST exam. This exam is critical in emergency and trauma settings, allowing healthcare professionals to rapidly assess patients for life-threatening conditions. Review and locate key structures such as the myocardial wall, lung sliding, ribs, and bladder using ultrasound imaging. This knowledge is fundamental to correctly interpreting the E-FAST exam results.
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Execute the E-FAST exam sequences, starting with cardiac views to locate the heart and evaluate the myocardial wall for signs of trauma or dysfunction, then shifting focus to abdominal views to assess for free fluid, often a sign of internal bleeding. Conduct lung views, where lung sliding is observed to rule out pneumothorax, with the ribs serving as vital landmarks for orientation.
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Apply knowledge of the E-FAST exam to real-world decision-making in emergency care, utilizing exam findings to inform treatment strategies and determine transport destinations for trauma patients. Review the clinical significance of E-FAST findings, interpret ultrasound images, and apply interpretations to clinical decisions. Assess how the exam results affect the urgency and method of patient transport, determining whether to send the patient to a nearby trauma center or a specialized facility.
Standards
Review and locate key structures such as the myocardial wall, lung sliding, ribs, and bladder using ultrasound imaging.
Execute the E-FAST exam sequences in the correct order, starting with cardiac views to locate the heart and evaluate the myocardial wall for signs of trauma or dysfunction, then shifting focus to abdominal views to assess for free fluid, often a sign of internal bleeding.
Conduct ultrasound of lung views, assessing for lung sliding to rule out pneumothorax, with the ribs serving as vital landmarks for orientation.
Review the clinical significance of E-FAST findings, interpret ultrasound images, and apply E-FAST interpretations to guide clinical decisions. Utilize E-FAST exam findings to inform treatment strategies and determine whether the most appropriate transport destination for a trauma patient is a nearby trauma center or a specialized facility.
Integrate E-FAST exam results into rapid decision-making, developing treatment plans that improve patient outcomes and coordinating transport logistics based on the severity of injuries, emphasizing the importance of swift, evidence-based actions in critical trauma care.