Development and application of a swine model for training ultrasonography-guided central venous access

Abstract

Introduction: simulation based teaching is a powerful tool in medical education, allowing hands on practice under a controlled environment and with repeated maneuvers. Central venous access venipuncture is one of the most frequent procedures carried out in the hospital setting, due to its various clinical indications and, when performed with the help of ultrasonography, the risk of adverse events is minimized. Aim: to develop, to describe and to test a porcine model that simulates the central venous access puncture aided by ultrasonography. Method: a low cost porcine model was developed to train medical students and residents on central venous access guided by ultrasonography. Both students and medical residents underwent a theoretical training regarding the model, followed by a hands-on training session. Afterwards, the participants assessed the model by answering a questionnaire. Results: there were 51 participants. The average score regarding the similarity between the model and the human anatomy was 9.15. When the characteristics were separately assessed, the mean scores regarding the similarity of the vessels, anatomic disposition and ultrasonographic characteristics as well as the venipuncture were, respectively, 9.27; 9.31; 9.54 and 8.86. Conclusion: The model was approved and considered appropriate for the training of central venous venipuncture by all the participants. Furthermore, it is a low cost, simple and reproducible model, that presents high similarity with the human anatomy. Therefore, it may be used as an aid to train people on ultrasonography guided central venous access.

A model for training ultrasound-guided fine-needle punctures

“…There is increasing emphasis on the use of simulation for training of ultrasound-guided procedures in medical education across multiple specialties 8 – 10 , and the use of models is a promising method for improving teaching in interventional radiology as it allows for training before initiating the procedure on patients 1 , 4 , 5 . The traditional training for interventional procedures in radiology, in which the trainee performs the procedure first on a live patient, can lead to adverse outcomes and patient dissatisfaction 11 .…”