Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma is used as a rapid screening test to look for what after trauma?

• A. Pan scan
• B. RSI
• C. FAST exam
• D. A-line

Answer: (C)

FAST stands for Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma and is used to rapidly detect free fluid in the abdomen and around the heart after injury. This bedside ultrasound helps identify internal bleeding or cardiac tamponade quickly, guiding urgent decisions about further imaging or need for surgery. In its extended form, it also checks for pneumothorax. The other options aren’t screening tests for trauma-related internal bleeding: a pan scan is a full-body CT, RSI is airway management, and an A-line is arterial monitoring.