Evaluation of a Novel Point-of-Care Ultrasound Curriculum for First-Year Pediatric Residents.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study is to evaluate a novel point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) educational curriculum for pediatric residents. METHODS: The cohort study in graduate medical education was completed from January 2017 to March 2019. Postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pediatric residents attended the educational curriculum that consisted of 3 half-day sessions over a 3-month period. Each session consisted of a lecture (introduction, extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma, soft tissue/musculoskeletal, cardiac, and resuscitative applications) followed by supervised hands-on scanning sessions. Group ratio was 3 learners to 1 machine/expert instructor. Main outcome measures included pre- and post-written test scores, as well as objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) scores. RESULTS: Forty-nine PGY1 residents (78% women) completed the curriculum. The mean (SD) pretest score was 68% (8.5), and the mean posttest score was 83% (8.3) with a difference of 15 (95% confidence interval, 12.5-17.6; P < 0.001). Mean (SD) focused assessment with sonography for trauma OSCE score after the curriculum was 88.7% (11.9). The number of PGY1 pediatric residents that were comfortable performing POCUS examinations increased from pretraining to posttraining for soft tissue/musculoskeletal (14%-61%, P < 0.001), extended focused assessment with sonography for trauma (24%-90%, P < 0.001), and cardiac (18%-86%, P < 0.001). All participants found the curriculum useful, and 42 of 49 (86%) stated the curriculum increased their ability to acquire and interpret images. CONCLUSIONS: Postgraduate year 1 pediatric residents learned the basics of POCUS through 3 brief educational sessions. The increase in posttest scores demonstrated improved POCUS knowledge, and the high OSCE score demonstrated their ability to acquire ultrasound images. Point-of-care ultrasound guidelines are needed for pediatric residency programs.

The Development of Visual Expertise in ECG Interpretation: An Eye-Tracking Augmented Re Situ Interview Approach.

Phenomenon: Visual expertise in medicine involves a complex interplay between expert visual behavior patterns and higher-level cognitive processes. Previous studies of visual expertise in medicine have centered around traditionally visually intensive disciplines such as radiology and pathology. However, there is limited study of visual expertise in electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation, a common clinical task that is associated with high error rates. This qualitatively driven multi-methods study aimed to describe differences in cognitive approaches to ECG interpretation between medical students, emergency medicine (EM) residents, and EM attending physicians. Approach: Ten medical students, 10 EM residents, and 10 EM attending physicians were recruited from one tertiary academic center to participate in this study. Participants interpreted 10 ECGs with a screen-based eye-tracking device, then underwent a subjective re situ interview augmented by playback of the participants' own gaze scan-paths via eye-tracking. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and an emergent thematic analysis was performed across participant groups. Diagnostic speed, accuracy, and heat maps of fixation distribution were collected to supplement the qualitative findings. Findings: Qualitative analysis demonstrated differences among the cohorts in three major themes: dual-process reasoning, ability to prioritize, and clinical implications. These qualitative findings were aligned with differences in visual behavior demonstrated by heat maps of fixation distribution across each ECG. More experienced participants completed ECG interpretation significantly faster and more accurately than less experienced participants. Insights: The cognitive processes related to ECG interpretation differed between novices and more experienced providers in EM. Understanding the differences in cognitive approaches to ECG interpretation between these groups may help inform best practices in teaching this ubiquitous diagnostic skill.

FAST skill assessment from kinematics data using convolutional neural networks.

PURPOSE: FAST is a point of care ultrasound study that evaluates for the presence of free fluid, typically hemoperitoneum in trauma patients. FAST is an essential skill for Emergency Physicians. Thus, it requires objective evaluation tools that can reduce the necessity of direct observation for proficiency assessment. In this work, we use deep neural networks to automatically assess operators' FAST skills. METHODS: We propose a deep convolutional neural network for FAST proficiency assessment based on motion data. Prior work has shown that operators demonstrate different domain-specific dexterity metrics that can distinguish novices, intermediates, and experts. Therefore, we augment our dataset with this domain knowledge and employ fine-tuning to improve the model's classification capabilities. Our model, however, does not require specific points of interest (POIs) to be defined for scanning. RESULTS: The results show that the proposed deep convolutional neural network can classify FAST proficiency with 87.5% accuracy and 0.884, 0.886, 0.247 sensitivity for novices, intermediates, and experts, respectively. It demonstrates the potential of using kinematics data as an input in FAST skill assessment tasks. We also show that the proposed domain-specific features and region fine-tuning increase the model's classification accuracy and sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS: Variations in probe motion at different learning stages can be derived from kinematics data. These variations can be used for automatic and objective skill assessment without prior identification of clinical POIs. The proposed approach can improve the quality and objectivity of FAST proficiency evaluation. Furthermore, skill assessment combining ultrasound images and kinematics data can provide a more rigorous and diversified evaluation than using ultrasound images alone.

Genitourinary Ultrasound.

Renal and genitourinary (GU) complaints are common reasons for presentation to the emergency department (ED). This article reviews the approach to renal, bladder, and testicular point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) with specific discussions of commonly encountered ED pathology. It presents algorithms highlighting the clinical integration of renal and GU POCUS into the evaluation and management of these patients.

POCUS literature primer: key papers on POCUS in cardiac arrest and shock.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to identify the top five most influential papers published on the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in cardiac arrest and the top five most influential papers on the use of POCUS in shock in adult patients. METHODS: An expert panel of 14 members was recruited from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) Emergency Ultrasound Committee and the Canadian Ultrasound Fellowship Collaborative. The members of the panel are ultrasound fellowship trained or equivalent, are engaged in POCUS research, and are leaders in POCUS locally and nationally in Canada. A modified Delphi process was used, consisting of three rounds of sequential surveys and discussion to achieve consensus on the top five most influential papers for the use of POCUS in cardiac arrest and shock. RESULTS: The panel identified 39 relevant papers on POCUS in cardiac arrest and 42 relevant papers on POCUS in shock. All panel members participated in all three rounds of the modified Delphi process, and we ultimately identified the top five most influential papers on POCUS in cardiac arrest and also on POCUS in shock. Studies include descriptions and analysis of safe POCUS protocols that add value from a diagnostic and prognostic perspective in both populations during resuscitation. CONCLUSION: We have developed a reading list of the top five influential papers on the use of POCUS in cardiac arrest and shock to better inform residents, fellows, clinicians, and researchers on integrating and studying POCUS in a more evidence-based manner.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: L'objectif de cette étude est d'identifier les cinq articles les plus influents publiés sur l'utilisation de l'échographie au point de soin (POCUS) dans l'arrêt cardiaque et les cinq articles les plus influents sur l'utilisation de POCUS dans le choc chez les patients adultes. MéTHODES: Un comité d'experts composé de 14 membres a été recruté par le Comité d'échographie d'urgence de l'Association canadienne des médecins d'urgence (ACMU) et le Canadian Ultrasound Fellowship Collaborative. Les membres du comité sont formés en échographie ou l'équivalent, participent à la recherche sur le POCUS et sont des chefs de file du POCUS à l'échelle locale et nationale au Canada. Un processus Delphi modifié a été utilisé, consistant en trois séries de sondages séquentiels et de discussions pour parvenir à un consensus sur les cinq articles les plus influents pour l'utilisation de POCUS dans les arrêts cardiaques et les chocs. RéSULTATS: Le panel a identifié 39 articles pertinents sur le POCUS en arrêt cardiaque et 42 articles pertinents sur le POCUS en état de choc. Tous les membres du panel ont participé aux trois cycles du processus Delphi modifié, et nous avons finalement identifié les cinq articles les plus influents sur le POCUS en arrêt cardiaque et aussi sur le POCUS en état de choc. Les études comprennent des descriptions et des analyses de protocoles POCUS sûrs qui ajoutent de la valeur d'un point de vue diagnostique et pronostique dans les deux populations pendant la réanimation. CONCLUSION: Nous avons dressé une liste de lecture des cinq principaux articles influents sur l'utilisation du POCUS en cas d'arrêt cardiaque et de choc afin de mieux informer les résidents, les boursiers, les cliniciens et les chercheurs sur l'intégration et l'étude du POCUS d'une manière plus factuelle.

POCUS literature primer: key papers on cardiac and lung POCUS.

OBJECTIVE: Although point of care ultrasound (POCUS) use has become prevalent in medicine, clinicians may not be familiar with the evidence supporting its utility in patient care. The objective of this study is to identify the top five most influential papers published on the use of cardiac POCUS and lung POCUS in adult patients. METHODS: A 14-member expert panel from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) Emergency Ultrasound Committee and the Canadian Ultrasound Fellowship Collaborative used a modified Delphi process. Panel members are ultrasound fellowship trained or equivalent, are engaged in POCUS scholarship, and are leaders in POCUS locally and nationally in Canada. The modified Delphi process consisted of three rounds of sequential surveys and discussion to achieve consensus on the top five most influential papers on cardiac POCUS and lung POCUS. RESULTS: A total of 66 relevant papers on cardiac POCUS and 68 relevant papers on lung POCUS were nominated by the panel. There was 100% participation by the panel members in all three rounds of the modified Delphi process. At the end of this process, we identified the top five most influential papers on cardiac POCUS and lung POCUS. Papers include studies supporting the use of POCUS for accurately assessing left ventricular systolic function, diagnosing pericardial effusion, clarifying its test characteristics for pulmonary embolism, identifying pulmonary edema and pneumonia, as well as consensus statements on the use of cardiac and lung POCUS in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: We have created a list of the top five influential papers on cardiac POCUS and lung POCUS as an evidence-based resource for trainees, clinicians, and researchers. This will help trainees and clinicians better understand how to use POCUS when scanning the heart and lungs, and it will also help researchers better understand where to direct their scholarly efforts with future research.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Bien que l'utilisation de l'échographie par point de soins (POCUS) soit devenue courante en médecine, les cliniciens ne sont peut-être pas familiarisés avec les données probantes qui appuient son utilité dans les soins aux patients. Cette étude a pour objectif d'identifier les cinq articles les plus influents publiés sur l'utilisation de la POCUS cardiaque et pulmonaire chez des patients adultes. MéTHODES: Un groupe d'experts composé de 14 membres du Comité des échographies d'urgence de l'Association canadienne des médecins d'urgence (ACEP) et du Canadian Ultrasound Fellowship Collaborative a utilisé un processus Delphi modifié. Les membres du comité sont des stagiaires en échographie ou l'équivalent, ils participent à des activités de recherche sur le POCUS et sont des chefs de file au niveau local et national au Canada. Le processus Delphi modifié consistait en trois rondes de sondages séquentiels et de discussions pour parvenir à un consensus sur les cinq articles les plus influents sur la POCUS cardiaque et la POCUS pulmonaire. RéSULTATS: Le panel a proposé un total de 66 articles pertinents sur la POCUS cardiaque et 68 documents pertinents sur la POCUS pulmonaire. Les membres du groupe ont participé à 100 % aux trois rondes du processus Delphi modifié. À la fin de ce processus, nous avons identifié les cinq principaux articles les plus influents sur le POCUS cardiaque et le POCUS pulmonaire. Les articles comprennent des études soutenant l'utilisation de POCUS pour évaluer avec précision la fonction systolique du ventricule gauche, diagnostiquer le épanchement péricardique, clarifier ses caractéristiques de test pour l'embolie pulmonaire, identifier l'œdème pulmonaire et la pneumonie, ainsi que des déclarations de consensus sur l'utilisation du POCUS cardiaque et pulmonaire dans la pratique clinique. CONCLUSION: Nous avons dressé une liste des cinq principaux articles influents sur le POCUS cardiaque et le POCUS pulmonaire en tant que ressource fondée sur des données probantes pour les stagiaires, les cliniciens et les chercheurs. Cela aidera les stagiaires et les cliniciens à mieux comprendre comment utiliser le POCUS pour scanner le cœur et les poumons, et cela aidera également les chercheurs à mieux comprendre où orienter leurs efforts scientifiques dans la recherche future.

Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Literature Primer: Key Papers on Renal and Biliary POCUS.

Objective The objective of this study is to identify the top five influential papers published on renal point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and the top five influential papers on biliary POCUS in adult patients. Methods A 14-member expert panel was recruited from the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) Emergency Ultrasound Committee and the Canadian Ultrasound Fellowship Collaborative. All panel members have had ultrasound fellowship training or equivalent, are actively engaged in POCUS scholarship, and are involved with POCUS at their local site and nationally in Canada. We used a modified Delphi process consisting of three rounds of sequential surveys and discussion to achieve consensus on the top five influential papers for renal POCUS and biliary POCUS. Results The panel identified 27 relevant papers on renal POCUS and 30 relevant papers on biliary POCUS. All panel members participated in all three rounds of the modified Delphi process, and after completing this process, we identified the five most influential papers on renal POCUS and the five most influential papers on biliary POCUS. Conclusion We have developed a list, based on expert opinion, of the top five influential papers on renal and biliary POCUS to better inform all trainees and clinicians on how to use these applications in a more evidence-based manner. This list will also be of interest to clinicians and researchers who strive to further advance the field of POCUS.

Differences in Gaze Fixation Location and Duration Between Resident and Fellowship Sonographers Interpreting a Focused Assessment With Sonography in Trauma.

OBJECTIVES: We quantified the gaze fixation duration of resident and fellowship sonographers interpreting a prerecorded focused assessment with sonography in trauma (FAST). We hypothesized that all sonographers would fixate on each relevant anatomic relationship but that the duration of fixation would differ. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study collecting and analyzing the gaze fixations of a convenience sample of current resident and fellowship sonographers. All sonographers viewed a standardized FAST video, and their gaze fixations were recorded using a Tobii X3-120 eye-tracking bar. Gaze fixations over nine anatomic regions of interest (ROIs) were identified. These were assessed for normality and analyzed using the Wilcoxon rank sum test at an alpha of 0.05 and Bonferroni correction p value of <0.0034. The chi-square test and Pearson's correlation were performed to assess statistical association. RESULTS: The gaze fixation recordings of 24 resident and eight fellowship sonographers were suitable for analysis. Fourteen of the 24 resident sonographers viewed all ROIs in the FAST, whereas all eight fellowship sonographers viewed each of the nine relevant ROIs. Five ROIs were identified over which at least one resident sonographer did not have a gaze fixation. No statistically significant difference was identified between groups. Resident sonographers gaze fixated over the left upper quadrant (LUQ) splenorenal interface for a median (interquartile range) of 10.64 (9.73-11.60) seconds. The fellowship group viewed the same ROI for 8.43 (6.64-8.95) seconds (p < 0.003). All participants viewed this ROI. No other ROIs had a statistical difference. CONCLUSION: Five ROIs were identified that were not visually interrogated by all resident sonographers. Only 14 of 24 resident sonographers visually interrogated every area in the FAST, whereas all fellowship sonographers interrogated every ROI. A statistically significant difference was found in gaze fixation duration between resident and fellowship sonographers in one ROI. Further study is required for gaze fixation assessment to become a tool for the interpretation component of point-of-care ultrasound.

Make it two: A case report of dual sequential external defibrillation.

ABSTRACTDual sequential external defibrillation (DSED) is the process of near simultaneous discharge of two defibrillators with differing pad placement to terminate refractory arrhythmias. Previously used in the electrophysiology suite, this technique has recently been used in the emergency department and prehospital setting for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). We present a case of successful DSED in the emergency department with neurologically intact survival to hospital discharge after refractory ventricular fibrillation (RVF) and review the putative mechanisms of action of this technique.

Sonographic Accuracy as a Novel Tool for Point-of-care Ultrasound Competency Assessment.

OBJECTIVES: The Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (FAST) is a point-of-care ultrasound (PoCUS) study that is routine in trauma patient assessment. Many organizations have published training guidelines, which grant competency through the completion of a fixed number of observed scans. This approach is incongruent with current trends in competency-based medical education. We aim to objectively quantify probe motion and user accuracy to differentiate groups of PoCUS operators. METHODS: Emergency medicine residents were recruited in two groups. The novice group (n = 15) had limited PoCUS experience, whereas the intermediate group (n = 14) had completed at least 50 supervised FAST examinations. Both groups underwent assessment on a live human model. Residents from the novice group returned (n = 9) after completing a curriculum and repeated the assessment using the identical experimental construct. RESULTS: Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the novice and both the intermediate and the novice returned groups in time, path length, and points of interest (POIs) scanned. Novices required more time to complete the full examination (290.82 seconds vs. 197.41 seconds vs. 271.79 seconds), utilized more motion (9392.07 mm vs. 4052.73 mm vs. 4985.05 mm), and imaged fewer POIs (48.13% vs. 95.00% vs. 100.00%) when compared to intermediates and returning novices, respectively. No difference was found between the intermediate and novice returned groups for the complete examination. Spearman's correlation was calculated between variables within each group. Correlations between time and path length were statistically significant (p < 0.05) with novice, intermediate, and novice returned values of 0.67, 0.65, and 0.90. Interestingly, neither time nor path length consistently correlated with POIs scanned in any group. CONCLUSION: Differences in probe motion efficiency and POIs scanned between novices and intermediate or returning novice users show promise for use as a quantitative objective assessment tool. Unlike in surgical literature, accuracy did not correlate with path length or time to examination completion.

Listeria monocytogenes Survival in Soil and Incidence in Agricultural Soils †.

The effects of soil type, inoculum level, microbial competition, fertilizers, and carbon and nitrogen supplementation on Listeria monocytogenes survival in soil were examined by utilizing soil columns in ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) plastic piping. Sandy soil yielded a lower level of L. monocytogenes survival than clay loam or sandy loam soils. L. monocytogenes numbers decreased from high inoculum levels, increased when inoculum levels were low, and reached higher levels more quickly in autoc1aved soil. Soil amended with solid chicken manure supported a higher population than soil amended with either liquid hog manure or inorganic nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium fertilizer, but only when microbial competitors had been reduced. Carbon and nitrogen supplementation had no effect on the population of L. monocytogenes . In a field survey analyzed by using a 3-tube most probable number procedure with enrichment, Listeria spp. were present in 1 of 13 cultivated fields and 6 of the 13 surrounding uncultivated meadows.