Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Performed Extended Focused Assessment With Sonography: Training, Workflow, and Sustainable Quality

The extended focused assessment of trauma (EFAST) examination is an invaluable tool for the initial evaluation of the trauma patient. Miniaturization of ultrasound has enabled helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) to use point-of-care ultrasound to care for trauma patients on scene. Our study demonstrated that HEMS crews accurately performed EFAST examinations after the implementation of a novel HEMS EFAST workflow, multifaceted training, and ongoing quality assurance. The HEMS crews’ overall sensitivity was 53%, and specificity was 98%. The obtained image quality was highest for the lung, cardiac, and right upper quadrant components of the EFAST. Our results suggest that with a structured multifaceted training program, user-friendly workflow, and ongoing quality assurance, HEMS crews can perform EFAST examinations safely and reliably in the field. This would allow HEMS crews to detect life-threatening, time-sensitive conditions such as a pneumothorax, pericardial effusion, and intraperitoneal hemorrhage. HEMS EFAST has the potential to triage certain trauma patients directly to the operating room or newly emerging hybrid suites, bypassing the emergency room and saving crucial time.