Formal training leads to improved POCUS use for surgeons

This study demonstrated that incorporation of a dedicated ultrasound rotation into a surgical critical care fellowship was feasible and improved comfort level in selected techniques,” Jalilvand and colleagues wrote. While POCUS continues to show its clinical utility, the researchers noted that there are no official guidelines for POCUS training during surgical critical care fellowships. Jalilvand and co-authors investigated how comfortable and competent surgical fellows are in using POCUS before and after being in a rotational program. For the yearlong program, seven surgical critical care fellows participated in rotations. The ultrasound rotation consisted of one month divided equally between interventional radiology and echocardiography. This included dedicated lectures and training with interventional and echocardiography technicians. POCUS training focused on thoracic, abdominal, and vascular imaging, as well as basic echocardiography techniques. For the study, technicians assessed how the fellows were skilled in probe orientation, location, image manipulation, machine adjustment, and image quality. The researchers used a seven-point Likert scale to measure these assessments, with a score of 1 meaning “not at all” and 7 meaning “yes/very much.” The researchers found that the fellows showed improvement in comfort with ultrasound-guided techniques. These included focused assessment with sonography for trauma, drainage procedures, volume status, and cardiac as...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Radiology Education Ultrasound Source Type: news