Radiology resident proficiency in identifying misplaced lines, tubes, and devices: a simulation-based study using...

Accurate placement of medical devices is crucial in critical care to prevent severe complications. This study aims to evaluate radiology residents' proficiency in identifying four specific critical misplacements of medical devices using the Wisdom in Diagnostic Imaging Simulation (WIDI SIM).

A retrospective analysis was conducted on 1,102 responses from radiology residents who participated in the WIDI SIM between 2010 and 2022. The majority were first- and second-year residents from multiple institutions. The simulation presented four specific cases featuring misplacements of an endotracheal tube in the esophagus, an intrauterine device embedded in the myometrium, a peripherally inserted central catheter in the right internal jugular vein, and an umbilical venous catheter in the splenic vein. Residents provided free-text interpretations scored on a 0-10 scale by subspecialty radiologists. Errors were categorized as observational (failure to identify misplacement) or interpretive (misinterpretation of identified misplacement). Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's multiple comparisons tests.

Across all cases, residents' average scores did not meet the acceptable standard of 7 points. Observational errors were predominant, indicating a failure to recognize these specific device misplacements. Effective report rates were low: 58% for the endotracheal tube case, 35% for the intrauterine device, 19% for the peripherally inserted central catheter, and 25% for the umbilical venous catheter. Significant performance improvements were observed between first- and second-year residents in three of the four cases (p-values ranging from < 0.0001 to 0.0238), but overall proficiency remained suboptimal even among senior residents.

This study reveals gaps in radiology residents' ability to identify these specific misplaced lines, tubes, and devices accurately. The consistent pattern of underperformance, primarily due to observational errors, suggests a need for targeted educational interventions to improve resident proficiency in this aspect of emergency radiology.