A young man with blunt abdominal trauma is hypotensive at 80/50 mmHg after 2 litres of crystalloid. The FAST scan shows free fluid in the abdomen. What is next?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Emergency laparotomy to control the bleeding source
- Step 1: Persistent hypotension and a positive FAST scan indicate intra-abdominal haemorrhage. Step 2. An unstable patient should not go to CT, and surgery is the next step. Answer: Emergency laparotomy. Why not the others: CT is for stable patients. More crystalloid cannot control the bleeding. Repeated testing wastes time.
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