A Novel Device for Training and Evaluating Ultrasound-Guided Procedures in Anesthesia

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anesthesiology
• Medical Simulation

Background:

• Improving needle-tip visualization is crucial for ultrasound-guided procedures.
• Nurse anesthesiology students require effective training tools for complex regional anesthesia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of needle guidance technology on accuracy and performance in simulated ultrasound-guided procedures.
• To assess student confidence and experience with needle guidance technology.

Main Methods:

• A quasiexperimental study involving 32 nurse anesthesiology students using 3D printed models.
• Students performed simulated infraclavicular and thoracic paravertebral procedures twice: with and without needle guidance.
• Measures included accuracy, procedural time, number of attempts, completion rate, and student self-assessment.

Main Results:

• Needle guidance significantly decreased distance to target (Z = -5.723, P < .001).
• It reduced the number of attempts for infraclavicular (P < .001) and thoracic paravertebral (P = .023) procedures.
• Students reported enhanced ease, speed, performance, and confidence when using needle guidance (P < .001 for both procedures).

Conclusions:

• Needle guidance technology demonstrably improves accuracy and efficiency in simulated ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia.
• The technology enhances student learning, confidence, and overall performance in critical procedural skills.
• Results suggest needle guidance is a valuable tool for medical education in anesthesiology.