BEFAST (Bubble-Enhanced FAST) for the Evaluation of Solid Organ Injury

• Status: Recruiting
• Trial end date: 2022-09-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) exam is widely used and accepted as part of advanced trauma life support (ATLS) protocol, but its low sensitivity for identifying solid organ injury in the absence of hemoperitoneum is a significant limitation. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has the potential to significantly enhance the evaluation of the trauma patient with acute intra-abdominal injury through the use of intravascular microbubbles that allow direct visualization of lacerations to solid organs. European studies have demonstrated that ultrasound contrast markedly improves the sensitivity of ultrasound in detecting solid organ injury, when the exam is performed in the radiology suite. The researchers hypothesize that the bubble-enhanced FAST or BEFAST exam will be more sensitive than traditional FAST for identification of solid organ injury in hemodynamically stable blunt abdominal trauma patients when performed by emergency providers.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Emory University
• Collaborator: United States Department of Defense

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical suspicion of intra-abdominal injury

• Presentation within 24 hours of injury

• Planned CT of the abdomen/pelvis within 24 hours

• Ability of patient or legally authorized representative to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Co-existing penetrating abdominal injury

• Known hypersensitivity reaction to contrast agent

• Pregnant patients

• Prisoners

• No appropriate IV Line able to be inserted

• Hemodynamic instability at time of enrollment (sustained systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg or sustained heart rate (HR) >120 despite initial resuscitation)