Logo image
Back
Simulation Improves Emergency Medicine Residents’ Clinical Performance of Aorta Point-of-Care Ultrasound
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Simulation Improves Emergency Medicine Residents’ Clinical Performance of Aorta Point-of-Care Ultrasound

Brandon M Wubben and Cory Wittrock
The western journal of emergency medicine, Vol.25(2), pp.205-208
03/2024
DOI: 10.5811/westjem.18449
PMCID: PMC11000555
PMID: 38596919
url
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/73d398gnView
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Purpose: Using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) to diagnose abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is an essential skill in emergency medicine (EM). While simulation-based POCUS education is commonly used, the translation to performance in the emergency department (ED) is unknown. We investigated whether adding case-based simulation to an EM residency curriculum was associated with changes in the quantity and quality of aorta POCUS performed by residents in the ED.Methods: A case-based simulation was introduced to resident didactics at our academic, Level I trauma center. A case of undifferentiated abdominal pain was presented, which required examination of an ultrasound phantom to diagnose an AAA, with a hands-on didactic. We compared the quantity, quality, and descriptive analyses of aorta POCUS performed in the ED during the four months before and after the simulation.Results: For participating residents (17/32), there was an 86% increase in total studies and an 80%increase in clinical studies. On an opportunity-adjusted, per-resident basis, there was no significant difference in median total scans per 100 shifts (4.4 [interquartile range (IQR) 0–15.8 vs 8.3 [IQR] 3.3–23.6, P = 0.21) or average total quality scores (3.2 ± 0.6 vs 3.2 ± 0.5, P = 0.92). The total number of limited or inadequate studies decreased (43% vs 19%, P = 0.02), and the proportion of scans submitted by interns increased (7% vs 54%, P =<.001).Conclusion: After simulation training, aorta POCUS was performed more frequently, and ED interns contributed a higher proportion of scans. While there was no improvement in quantity or quality scores on a per-resident basis, there were significantly fewer incomplete or limited scans.
 Ultrasonography Abdominal aortic aneurysm Emergency Medicine POCUS point-of-care Simulation

Details

Metrics

5 Record Views
Logo image