464-173 | A Vascular Surgery-Specific Ultrasound Model for Vascular Access-JVU 464-173

JVU 464-173

Pdf Summary

The article presents a vascular surgery-specific ultrasound model that allows trainees to practice vascular access skills on healthy, calcified, and branched vessels. The model is made using unflavored clear gelatin, water, a small rectangular container, standard straws, and other easily accessible items. The gelatin is mixed with water, poured into the container, and chilled until it hardens. Different vessel models can be created by inserting straws at various angles and cutting out slices of gel to mimic branches. The authors used an ultrasound machine and probe to evaluate the model and found that it visually and physically mimicked real-life tissue under ultrasound, allowing for clear visualization of needle and wire access.<br /><br />The advantages of this model are that it allows for practice on healthy, diseased, and branched vessels, which is important for treating patients with diseased and calcified vessels. The model is inexpensive, easy to make, customizable, and accessible. It provides a low-risk environment for procedural simulation and learning, and users can monitor their hand-eye coordination. The model can be preserved for up to a week and reused or easily remade. <br /><br />The article concludes by suggesting administering a pretest and posttest to assess the model's effectiveness in improving access skills. A scoring system is provided to assess various variables related to proper access technique. The authors suggest that significant improvement in post-test scores compared to pre-test scores would demonstrate the model's benefit for trainees.<br /><br />Overall, the vascular surgery-specific ultrasound model provides a realistic and inexpensive simulation for training in ultrasound-guided vascular access. It allows for practicing on healthy, diseased, and branched vessels and can improve trainees' confidence in their access skills.

Keywords

vascular surgery

ultrasound model

vascular access skills

healthy vessels

calcified vessels

branched vessels

gelatin model

ultrasound visualization

procedural simulation

hand-eye coordination