Inferior vena cava ultrasound training technique for emergency medicine residents and evaluation

Abstract

Background: Emergency medicine residents’ ultrasound training depends on local residency programmes in different countries. However we did not have standardised technique in residents training to evaluate inferior vena cava and aorta. Thestandardisation of the technique was followed by recommendations of the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) suggested quality assurance grading scale and specific technical guidelines. The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate the inferior vena cava ultrasound training technique for residents.Patients, Methods and Data Collection: The Study was a prospective trial designed to train volunteer emergency medicine residents to perform inferior vena cava ultrasound during specific course and to test their inferior vena cava ultrasound technique after the course. Residents’ training course was held 2016 in Emergency department of Kaunas Clinics. Volunteers were 4 Emergency medicine residents (secondand third-year), who have completed a basic ultrasound course (1 month in Radiology Department), trained by radiologist and a special practical ultrasoundc ourse on inferior vena cava evaluation (25 scans of inferior vena cava with radiologist and the same count scans done alone and saved for review). Their ultrasound technique was tested by measuring inferior vena cava parameters for the runners after 21 km running race and compared to the expert evaluation. ..