Point-of-care ultrasound assessment of the abdominal aorta by physician assistant students: a pilot study
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Point-of-care ultrasound assessment of the abdominal aorta by physician assistant students: a pilot study Dayna Jaynstein 1 & Robert Baeten 2 & Patrick Bafuma 3
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& Rachel Krakov & Danielle Biggs & Trent She & Nicole Yuzuk
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Received: 2 July 2020 / Accepted: 18 August 2020 # American Society of Emergency Radiology 2020
Abstract Objective Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) decreases time to diagnosis and improves mortality of those diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysms and dissections. While medical students have demonstrated an ability to obtain adequate POCUS images of the abdominal aorta (AA), physician assistant (PA) student studies are lacking. This pilot study aims to evaluate the ability of PA students to acquire AA POCUS images. Methods PA students, instructors, and models voluntarily participated. Student participants received online material to review several weeks before the study. During the study, students performed 4 precepted practice scans of the AA, and their fifth scan was recorded for review by three ultrasound fellowship trained Emergency Medicine physicians. Images were graded on proper identification and measurement of the AA, as well as interpretability of images. Results A total of 20 PA students participated. Ninety-five percent were able to obtain interpretable transverse images of the distal aorta and longitudinal views of the aorta, and 65% were able to obtain interpretable transverse images of the proximal and mid aorta. Conclusions In the most rigorous evaluation of student-obtained AA POCUS images to date, we found that PA students were able to obtain adequate AA images. PA students were able to image the distal and longitudinal aorta in the transverse plane where the majority of AAAs are found to a very high degree. Results demonstrate PA students’ ability to learn POCUS and encourage PA education to take steps to incorporate POCUS education and development of competency standards for PA graduates. Keywords Point-of-care ultrasound . Ultrasound . Physician assistant . Education . Aorta
* Dayna Jaynstein [email protected] 1
Red Rocks Community College Physician Assistant Program, 10280 West 55th Ave, Arvada, CO 80002, USA
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College of Health Professions, Mercer University, 3001 Mercer University Drive, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA
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Columbia Memorial Hospital, 71 Prospect Ave, Hudson, NY 12534, USA
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Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 S. University Drive Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33328, USA
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Department of Emergency Medicine, Morristown Medical Center, 100 Madison Avenue, Morristown, NJ 07930, USA
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Department of Emergency Medicine, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West, 1000 10th Avenue, New York, NY 10019, USA
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Department of Emergency Medicine, St Joseph’s University Medical Center, 703 Main Street, Paterson, NJ 07503, USA
Introduction Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) refers to limited sonography used by clinicians at the patient’s bedside to evaluate a variety of specific clinical
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