Question:medium
A patient with a stab injury to the right lower chest presents with low BP and low pulse rate. He improves with IV fluids and, after resuscitation in the trauma centre, his BP becomes normal. Chest X-ray shows clear lung fields. What is the next step?
A patient with a stab injury to the right lower chest presents with low BP and low pulse rate. He improves with IV fluids and, after resuscitation in the trauma centre, his BP becomes normal. Chest X-ray shows clear lung fields. What is the next step?
Show Hint
After resuscitation, what bedside scan screens chest, pericardium and abdomen for blood in seconds?
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- eFAST
- Keep an immediate chest tube
- CECT abdomen
- CECT chest
Show Solution
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Clinical-flow reasoning: a right lower chest stab can bleed into the chest, the pericardium, or the abdomen, because the diaphragm rises into the lower thorax. The patient transiently responded and is now stable, so you have a window to investigate rather than reflexively drain. Skip the chest tube, the X-ray shows clear lung fields with no tension or large collection. Between bedside ultrasound and CT, the principle in trauma is the quickest sensitive screen first. eFAST sweeps the pericardium, both pleural recesses and the peritoneal spaces at the bedside without moving the patient, so it is the immediate next step. A positive or doubtful eFAST then earns a contrast CT for detail. Pearl: investigations in torso trauma are driven by haemodynamic status, stable lets you image, unstable sends you to the operating room.
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