Echocardiography Performed by Combat Medics: A Feasibility Study.

Area of Science:

• Medical Training
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound
• Diving Medicine

Background:

• Echocardiography is crucial for assessing bubble load in divers.
• Combat medics require methods for self-monitoring decompression stress.
• Current training methods may not be suitable for austere environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of a microteaching program for training combat medics in echocardiography.
• To assess the ability of combat medics to perform cardiac ultrasound measurements.
• To determine the suitability of acquired images for assessing vascular gas emboli (VGE).

Main Methods:

• A microteaching program was delivered to Netherlands Armed Forces combat medics.
• Participants used handheld ultrasound devices and recorded cardiac views.
• Performance was assessed using Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills (OSATS) and image quality ratings.

Main Results:

• All 21 medics completed the training, with most acquiring partial cardiac views within 61 seconds.
• Performance scores indicated near-competence in preparation, time-motion, and procedural flow.
• While inter-rater variability existed, image quality was generally sufficient for VGE assessment.

Conclusions:

• Microteaching is a feasible method for training combat medics in basic echocardiography.
• Combat medics can acquire partially suitable cardiac ultrasound images after brief training.
• This approach supports self-monitoring of decompression stress in remote or austere environments.