FAST exam tests for free fluid in which regions?

• A. Brain, chest, abdomen, pelvis
• B. Lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys
• C. Neck, chest, pelvis, spine
• D. Heart, RUQ, LUQ, Pelvis

Answer: (D)

FAST examines four key spaces where free fluid from bleeding is most likely to collect in a trauma patient: around the heart (pericardial space) and in the abdominal compartments of the right upper quadrant, left upper quadrant, and the pelvis. The RUQ window targets Morison’s pouch, the deepest point between the liver and kidney; the LUQ window targets the splenorenal recess; and the pelvic view assesses the rectouterine or rectovesical space. Detecting fluid in any of these areas suggests intraperitoneal bleeding or tamponade, guiding urgent management. The lungs or brain aren’t part of the standard FAST views (lung assessment is added only in the extended FAST for pneumothorax/pleural effusion). That’s why the regions tested are the heart, RUQ, LUQ, and pelvis.