Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
-
Observational Study
The baseline diameter of the inferior vena cava measured by sonography increases with age in normovolemic children.
To evaluate normative sonographic measurements of the inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter in healthy pediatric patients. ⋯ This pilot study of sonographic measurements of the IVC diameter in normovolemic children suggests a statistically significant positive correlation between age and IVC diameter. Future studies should focus on multicenter enrollment, children in the youngest age group, and the development of normative growth curves for the IVC by age, sex, and body mass index.
-
The goal of this study was to investigate the durability and longevity of gelatin formulas for the production of staged ultrasound phantoms for education. ⋯ Refrigerated and sealed ballistic gelatin with phenol was a cost-effective method for creating in-house staged ultrasound phantoms suitable for large-scale ultrasound educational training needs. Clinician ranking of phantoms may be influenced by current training methods that favor biological tissue scanning as easier.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
A Randomized Controlled Trial Evaluating the See, Tilt, Align, and Rotate (STAR) Maneuver on Skill Acquisition for Simulated Ultrasound-Guided Interventional Procedures.
Achieving the best view of the needle and target anatomy when performing ultrasound-guided interventional procedures requires technical skill, which novices may find difficult to learn. We hypothesized that teaching novice performers to use 4 sequential steps (see, tilt, align, and rotate [STAR] method) to identify the needle under ultrasound guidance is more efficient than training with the commonly described probe movements of align, rotate, and tilt (ART). ⋯ Novices are able to complete a simulated ultrasound-guided nerve block more quickly and efficiently when trained with the 4-step STAR maneuver compared to the ART method.
-
The appearance of the dicrotic notch on blood pressure tracings is associated with impaired cardiac function. Common carotid artery waveforms have similar fiduciary markers, yet they have not been related to cardiac function. We studied associations of common carotid artery dicrotic notch velocities with the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) determined by echocardiography. ⋯ Dicrotic notch velocities measured from common carotid artery Doppler waveforms are associated with the LVEF and might offer some clinical value in selected cases.