ULTRASOUND TRAINING DURING ATLS - AN EARLY START FOR SURGICAL INTERNS

Objectives: Determine if: (1) surgical interns could learn essential u ltrasound principles of the focused assessment for the sonographic exa mination of the trauma patient (FAST) during Advanced Trauma Life Supp ort (ATLS), and (2) swine are adequate models for learning the FAST. D esign: Lecture, videotape, pre/posttests, and practical examination, M ethodology: Day 1: Survey, pretest, lecture, and videotape, Day 2: Thr ee swine, used in ATLS, had diagnostic peritoneal lavage catheters rei nserted to infuse fluid and produce ''positive'' ultrasound examinatio ns, Two fresh swine were ''negatives''; however, all five swine were d raped similarly to disguise interventions, Interns were tested individ ually by surgeon-sonographers to determine whether the ultrasound imag e was ''positive'' Or ''negative'' Posttests were completed while surg eons performed postmortem examinations on two swine, Statistics: Paire d Student's t test and Wilcoxon Rank Sum test, Results: Survey (5 min) : 48% had exposure to ultrasound, Relationship of test scores showed n o significant difference (p = 0.46 to 0.91) between interns with and w ithout ultrasound experience. Tests (30 min): Mean pre- and posttests scores = 65.6 and 90.8, respectively (p < 0.001). Practical examinatio n (140 min): Mean score = 89.6. Postmortem examinations: Left hepatic lobe partially obscured the spleen, Conclusions: (1) Surgical interns can learn essential ultrasound principles of the FAST during ATLS (2) Swine are feasible models for learning the FAST.