Focused Assessment With Sonography in Trauma (FAST) as a Prognostic Tool in Blunt Abdominal Trauma: A Prospective Observational Study

Introduction Blunt abdominal trauma (BAT) is a significant contributor to trauma-related morbidity and mortality globally. While Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) is widely utilized for early diagnosis, its role in predicting patient outcomes requires further evaluation. Methods A prospective observational study involving 80 BAT patients was conducted at a tertiary trauma center over 18 months. All patients underwent FAST at admission. Correlations between FAST results and clinical outcomes such as surgical intervention, ICU stay, morbidity, mortality, and hospital stay duration were assessed. CT was used as the diagnostic gold standard. Statistical analyses included sensitivity, specificity, logistic regression, and comparison of outcome variables. Results Out of 80 patients, 36 (45%) had a positive FAST. FAST showed a sensitivity of 79.1%, specificity of 94.6%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 94.4%, and negative predictive value (NPV) of 79.5% compared to CT. Surgical intervention (72.2% vs. 9.1%), ICU admission (50% vs. 11.3%), morbidity (38.9% vs. 6.8%), and mortality (13.9% vs. 2.3%) were significantly higher in FAST-positive patients (p<0.001). Hospital stay was significantly longer in FAST-positive patients (10.2 ± 3.8 vs. 6.1 ± 2.9 days, p<0.001). Conclusion FAST is an effective prognostic tool in BAT. A positive FAST result strongly correlates with adverse outcomes and supports early triage, surgical planning, and ICU utilization.