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Creation of a High-fidelity, Low-cost Pediatric Skull Fracture Ultrasound Phantom
Zachary P Soucy1, Lisa Mills2, John S Rose2
1Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, California USA. zachary.p.soucy@hitchcock.org.
Insights
Researchers developed a cost-effective, high-fidelity pediatric skull fracture phantom for training in point-of-care ultrasound. This novel model addresses the lack of available tools for diagnosing infant skull fractures using ultrasound.
Area of Science:
- Medical imaging
- Ultrasound technology
- Pediatric emergency medicine
Background:
- Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly used for diagnosis and procedures.
- Effective training is crucial for novel POCUS applications, including pediatric skull fracture detection.
- Distinguishing infant skull fractures from sutures on ultrasound requires specialized knowledge and training models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel, high-fidelity, cost-effective pediatric skull fracture phantom.
- To meet the unique training requirement for diagnosing skull fractures in patients under two years old using POCUS.
- To provide a realistic simulation for differentiating sutures from fractures on ultrasound imaging.
Main Methods:
- A novel approach was used to construct a simple, high-fidelity phantom.
- The phantom is designed to mimic the anatomical features of a pediatric skull, including sutures.
- Focus on creating a cost-effective solution for widespread training accessibility.
Main Results:
- A functional, high-fidelity pediatric skull fracture phantom was successfully developed.
- The phantom allows for realistic simulation of ultrasound imaging of infant skulls.
- The model facilitates training in identifying potential skull fractures and distinguishing them from anatomical sutures.
Conclusions:
- The developed phantom offers a valuable, cost-effective training tool for POCUS in pediatric head trauma.
- This innovation addresses a critical gap in currently available simulation models for infant skull fracture diagnosis.
- The phantom supports the advancement of POCUS skills for a challenging diagnostic scenario in young children.
Abstract:
Over the past decade, point-of-care ultrasound has become a common tool used for both procedures and diagnosis. Developing high-fidelity phantoms is critical for training in new and novel point-of-care ultrasound applications. Detecting skull fractures on ultrasound imaging in the younger-than-2-year-old patient is an emerging area of point-of-care ultrasound research. Identifying a skull fracture on ultrasound imaging in this age group requires knowledge of the appearance and location of sutures to distinguish them from fractures. There are currently no commercially available pediatric skull fracture models. We outline a novel approach to building a cost-effective, simple, high-fidelity pediatric skull fracture phantom to meet a unique training requirement.
