Point of care ultrasound detection of thrombus straddling a patent foramen ovale in a patient with acute chest syndrome.

Patients with sickle cell disease can develop acute chest syndrome and are at high risk of developing pulmonary thrombosis. We report a case of a young woman with sickle cell disease who was hospitalized for vaso-occlusive crisis and subsequently developed worsening acute chest syndrome and stroke, discovered on point of care ultrasound to have right heart failure and a thrombus straddling a patent foramen oval. POCUS is highly specific for the detection of right heart dilation/dysfunction and should be a routine component of the assessment of acutely decompensating patients.

How I Teach: Ultrasound-guided Peripheral Venous Access.

Ultrasound-guided peripheral intravenous (IV) placement is often required for patients with difficult IV access and is associated with a reduction in central line placement. Despite the importance, there is no standardized technical approach, and there is limited ability to attain mastery through simulation. We describe our step-by-step approach for teaching ultrasound-guided IV placement at the bedside using short-axis dynamic guidance, with emphasis on advancing the needle and catheter device almost entirely into the vessel before threading the catheter. Our teaching approach allows the opportunity for trainees to maximize the learning potential of a single insertion experience, which includes focused preprocedure hands-on practice, instruction with real-time feedback at the bedside, and a post-procedure debrief with reinforcement of concepts.

ATS Core Curriculum 2020. Adult Critical Care Medicine.

The American Thoracic Society Core Curriculum updates clinicians annually in adult and pediatric pulmonary disease, medical critical care, and sleep medicine, in a 3- to 4-year recurring cycle of topics. These topics will be presented at the 2020 International Conference. Below is the adult critical care medicine core including complications of chemotherapy, acute-on-chronic liver failure, alcohol withdrawal syndrome, mechanical circulatory support, direct oral anticoagulants, upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage, and vasopressor selection.

Physician Versus Nonphysician Instruction: Evaluating an Expert Curriculum-Competent Facilitator Model for Simulation-Based Central Venous Catheter Training.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare simulation supports educational opportunities while maintaining patient safety. To reduce costs and increase the availability of training, a randomized controlled study evaluated central venous catheter (CVC) insertion training in the simulation laboratory with nonphysician competent facilitators (NPCFs) as instructors. METHOD: A group of learners naive to central line placement participated in a blended curriculum consisting of interactive online materials and simulation-based training. Learners were randomized to training with NPCFs or attending physician faculty. The primary outcome was simulated CVC insertion task performance, graded with a validated checklist by blinded physician reviewers. Learner knowledge and satisfaction were also evaluated. Analysis was conducted using noninferiority testing. RESULTS: Eighty-five students, 11 attending physicians, and 7 NPCFs voluntarily participated. Noninferiority testing of the difference in CVC insertion performance between NPCF-trained learners versus physician-trained learners found no significant difference [rejecting the null hypothesis of inferiority using an 8% noninferiority margin (P < 0.01)]. In addition, there was no difference found between the 2 groups on pre/post knowledge scores, self-reported learner comfort, course satisfaction, or instructor satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: An introductory CVC curriculum can be taught to novice learners by carefully trained and supported NPCFs and achieve skill and knowledge outcomes similar to learners taught by physicians.