ABCDE of prehospital ultrasonography: a narrative review

The Ultrasound Journal

Table 2 The CAVEAT protocol.

Urgency	Step	Examination	Focus on	Looking for
CAVEAT protocol
Primary assessment (mandatory)	1	Evaluation of the pleura	Chest	Pneumothorax
	2	Complete FAST examination	Abdomen Costophrenic recesses	Hemoperitoneum Hemothorax
	3	Inferior Vena Cava assessment	Collapsibility index	Volume depletion
Secondary assessment (optional)	4	Upper- and lower extremities	Long bones; regions of pain, tenderness, or deformity	Major fractures eligible for more accurate reduction and stabilization Fractures to prioritize utilization of radiographic resources, or achieve even more accurate triage

CAVEAT sonographic evaluation of the chest, abdomen, vena cava, extremities for acute triage, FAST focused assessment with sonography for trauma
This table shows the suggested order of examinations in the CAVEAT protocol. Specific components may depend on the operators’ skill level and on the individual patient’s injuries