A point-of-care ultrasound education curriculum for pediatric critical care medicine

Abstract

Background Diagnostic and procedural point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) change patient management with the potential to improve outcomes. Pediatric critical care medicine trainees have limited access to education and training opportunities in diagnostic POCUS in the pediatric ICU. A dearth of published pediatric ICU curricular resources restricts these educational opportunities. Methods A 7-week longitudinal curriculum including lectures, practical skills sessions, and knowledge assessment covering core modules including (1) machine operation, (2) vascular access, (3) non-vascular procedures, (4) cardiac imaging, (5) hemodynamic assessment, (6) pulmonary imaging, and (7) abdominal imaging, was disseminated to pediatric critical care trainees and faculty at a single tertiary care pediatric hospital. Results The knowledge of trainees and participating faculty in procedural and diagnostic POCUS improved after implementing the curriculum. Pre-test scores mean and standard deviation (59.30% ± 14.15%) improved significantly (75.60% ± 9.43%) for all learners (p < 0.001). The overall self-reported comfort in diagnostic and procedural ultrasound improved for all learners. 100% of the learners reported utilizing diagnostic POCUS in their clinical practice four months after disseminating the curriculum. Discussion We describe a single center’s approach to POCUS education with improvement in knowledge, self-reported comfort, and attitudes towards procedural and diagnostic POCUS. The curricular resources for adaptation in a similar educational context are provided.

Reliability of renal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) performed by pediatric postgraduates to diagnose hydronephrosis in infants

“…Although the Korean Society of Pediatric Emergency Medicine has introduced voluntary training programs in pediatric emergency ultrasound, the absence of dedicated curricula for pediatric resident training in POCUS persists, with existing programs still in their nascent stages of development ( 14 ). However, there is a lack of curricula dedicated to training pediatric residents in POCUS, and those available are still in their early stages of development ( 9 , 15 , 16 ). Over recent years, we have implemented point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training for pediatric residents utilizing available educational resources.…”

Rapid Education Event: A Streamlined Approach to Ultrasound Guided Nerve Block Procedural Training

“…Finally, they demonstrated their procedural skills using gel phantom models to simulate a live patient, spending just 30 minutes at each station. Previously published curricula typically involve several training sessions held over multiple days to teach similar US-guided procedures and skills [8][9][10].…”

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Training Curriculum for Pediatric Nephrology: PCRRT-ICONIC Group Recommendations

“…This initiative resulted in a noteworthy enhancement in participants' self-reported knowledge and learning. 16 Furthermore, there is a need to determine the most effective means of assessing competency and granting certification. While setting minimum standards, such as requiring a specific number of scans, is crucial to ensure learners engage in repetitive learning, this alone certainly does not guarantee competency.…”

“…This initiative resulted in a noteworthy enhancement in participants' self-reported knowledge and learning. 16 …”