The use of ultrasound for dogs and cats in the emergency room: AFAST and TFAST

Abstract

Internal injuries are common and often life-threatening conditions that can be challenging to detect based on physical examination, radiographs, and centesis. Recently, ultrasound has been introduced and evaluated in human and veterinary emergency medicine as a point-of-care test for a variety of emergent conditions. This article discusses the indications for point-of-care emergency ultrasound of dogs and cats in the emergency and critical care setting. Techniques for performing focused emergency evaluations are described and the current veterinary and human literature is contrasted, with emphasis on abdominal, pleural, pericardial, and pulmonary evaluation.