ReviewCureus2026
Integration of FAST/e-FAST Ultrasound Into Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Protocols for the Surgical Management of Abdominal Trauma: A Systematic Review of Its Impact on Mortality, Intervention Times, and Postoperative Outcomes.
Review in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The use of Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma/extended FAST (FAST/e-FAST) ultrasound in Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) protocols is expected to provide a faster and more effective method for diagnosing life-threatening abdominal trauma hemorrhage. Although extensively used in research, quantitative measures of its direct effect on mortality and intervention times are still not consistent. This systematic review combined data from multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Scopus; 2000-2025) in accordance with PRISMA 2020. Studies that satisfied the inclusion criteria involved adult abdominal trauma patients in whom FAST/e-FAST was applied within an ATLS pathway and that reported quantitative outcomes on mortality, time to intervention, or postoperative morbidity. The findings from 20 studies suggest that protocolized FAST/e-FAST integration is linked to a significant decrease in time to laparotomy (e.g., a median reduction of 13-15 minutes in prehospital trials and a 64% shorter time in an emergency department randomized controlled trial) and reduced CT use (OR, 0.16). High specificity (98%), with variable sensitivity (74%), indicates that pooled diagnostic accuracy for intra-abdominal free fluid can serve as a powerful rule-in tool. Nevertheless, no consistent and substantial reduction in overall mortality was observed. Embedding FAST/e-FAST into ATLS protocols enhances the efficiency of surgical triage and accelerates time to definitive hemorrhage control, supporting its standardized use in trauma workflows. Its role as a sole rule-out test remains limited, emphasizing the need for continued clinical correlation and operator training.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.