Question:medium
A patient presents following a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) with absent air entry on the left side and tenderness in the left lower chest wall. What is the next step in Emergency Management (EMR)?
A patient presents following a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) with absent air entry on the left side and tenderness in the left lower chest wall. What is the next step in Emergency Management (EMR)?
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Think of the point-of-care bedside investigation used first in trauma for detecting haemoperitoneum.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- X-ray
- CT
- FAST
- DPL
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The Correct Option is C
Solution and Explanation
Clinical Approach:
In a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) patient with absent air entry on the left and left lower chest wall tenderness, the priority is rapid identification of life-threatening injuries at the bedside.
The correct answer is FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma).
Key reasoning:
- FAST is a bedside, non-invasive, rapid ultrasound protocol used in trauma for detecting free fluid (haemoperitoneum) in Morrison's pouch, splenorenal space, pelvis, and pericardium.
- Extended FAST (eFAST) additionally evaluates the pleural spaces for haemothorax and pneumothorax -- directly relevant in this patient with absent breath sounds.
- It does not require moving the patient to radiology, avoids radiation, and provides real-time results within minutes.
Why not others?
- $X$-ray: useful adjunct but not as rapidly diagnostic for haemoperitoneum.
- CT: gold standard but not first-line in an unstable trauma patient.
- DPL: invasive, largely obsolete since FAST became widely available.
\[\boxed{\text{FAST}}\]
In a Road Traffic Accident (RTA) patient with absent air entry on the left and left lower chest wall tenderness, the priority is rapid identification of life-threatening injuries at the bedside.
The correct answer is FAST (Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma).
Key reasoning:
- FAST is a bedside, non-invasive, rapid ultrasound protocol used in trauma for detecting free fluid (haemoperitoneum) in Morrison's pouch, splenorenal space, pelvis, and pericardium.
- Extended FAST (eFAST) additionally evaluates the pleural spaces for haemothorax and pneumothorax -- directly relevant in this patient with absent breath sounds.
- It does not require moving the patient to radiology, avoids radiation, and provides real-time results within minutes.
Why not others?
- $X$-ray: useful adjunct but not as rapidly diagnostic for haemoperitoneum.
- CT: gold standard but not first-line in an unstable trauma patient.
- DPL: invasive, largely obsolete since FAST became widely available.
\[\boxed{\text{FAST}}\]
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