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Abstract
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Background and Aims This study aimed to determine the learning curve for an ultrasound-guided popliteal block and the transference of this training to a real patient situation.
Methods After approval by the ethics committee, ten first-year anesthesia residents were recruited to participate in a simulated-based training program to perform a single shot in plane popliteal block. (NCT06081790) Training consisted of 10 individual sessions, with direct feedback from the instructor, with a specific Laerdal® sciatic popliteal block phantom, lasting one hour and distributed weekly. At the end of each session, the resident’s performance was assessed. Residents were videotaped while performing the block, which was to be evaluated using a validated global rating scale (GRS). Additionally, a tracking motion device (ICSAD) attached to the operator’s hands recorded the total distance traveled by both hands (Total Path Length=TPL) and total procedure time (TPT). One week later, the same assessment was done on a real patient.
Results Ten residents completed the training and the assessments. Median values of GRS scores significantly improved from 14 to 28 through the training (p=0.02) (figure 1). Regarding ICSAD scores, TPT improved from 126 to 59.5 seconds (p=0.004), and TPL improved from 11.06 to 9.3 meters (p=0.432). We found no significant differences between the last simulated session and the subsequent measurement in an actual patient.
GRS scores of all residents through training sessions and transference to real patient. Group median for each session in red
Conclusions This simulation-based training program significantly improves residents’ proficiency in an ultrasound-guided popliteal block. The learning curve plateaued at session 7, and this improvement was transferred to the real patient setting.