This report describes the case of a multitrauma patient who had life-threatening intraabdominal hemorrhage with a diaphragmatic laceration. This hemorrhage remained undetected by serial focus assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) examination. The potential for intraabdominal blood to move through a diaphragmatic laceration to the pleural space may limit the development of hemoperitoneum, rendering the FAST examination misleading or producing a false-negative result. The use of the FAST examination is discussed along with its advantages and limitations.
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