Taking the Next Step in Obstetric Critical Care: Cardiac and Lung POCUS Training for Obstetric Residents

The importance of cardiopulmonary point of care ultrasound (POCUS) for the assessment of the acute obstetric patient is increasingly recognized. Obstetricians are well-versed in ultrasound and may be able to perform POCUS with brief training.

To implement and assess a hands-on basic training program in cardiopulmonary POCUS for obstetric trainees.

Obstetric residents participated in a basic training program for cardiopulmonary POCUS run by maternal-fetal medicine and cardiac anesthesia specialists. A pre- and post-survey on confidence and self-perceived likelihood to utilize learned skills was administered.

Twenty-seven trainees participated in our program. Participants showed improved confidence in obtaining cardiac and lung views, as well as using the cardiac probe. They felt more comfortable making clinical decisions based on POCUS findings and reported they were more likely to use POCUS on obstetric patients.

Our study demonstrated the feasibility of a POCUS training program for obstetric residents.