Pitfalls

There are many pitfalls in carrying out a FAST scan.  Realistically, the chief one is the tendency to stray beyond the areas of level 1 training.  Beyond this, other potential pitfalls are:

• Failure to be clear why FAST is indicated
• Assuming free fluid is blood
• Saying a negative scan is a normal scan
• Not repeating scans
• Carrying out a scan while the patient is sitting at 45 degrees
• Ruling out pathology, rather than using FAST to rule in pathology
• Failure to work to the algorthym

At all times think about the history and context, and ensure you are attempting to answer a legitimate question.