Upper Airway Ultrasound Training Requirements

NCT05466409 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 942
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 22
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The applications of point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) of the upper airway are growing over the last decade. It's clinical applications include both diagnosis of upper airway pathology as well as pre-intubation airway examination and provision of ultrasound markers of difficult laryngoscopy and/or intubation. However, it is differentiated from the comprehensive ultrasound examinations traditionally performed by radiologists because it is targeted to answer a specific clinical question in real time. Moreover, ultrasound-guided techniques require knowledge of sonoanatomy and ultrasound operational skills. However, clinicians lack the standardized training that ultrasound technicians and radiologists receive. POCUS training is rarely done in a standardized manner, and even more so, POCUS is rarely conducted under expert's supervision. The current study investigates the feasibility of upper airway POCUS performed on healthy volunteers by anaesthesia residents using a predefined scanning protocol after attending a structured training course. Assessment of anaesthesia trainees' competence and minimum training requirements were the aim of the study.

Conditions

Airway Management

Keywords

Training; Point-of-care-ultrasound

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• T-I differences for hyoid bone to skin distance

  Paired calculations of trainee-instructor (T-I) differences (mm) for hyoid bone to skin distance.

  10 days

• T-I differences for anterior commissure to skin distance

  Paired calculations of trainee-instructor (T-I) differences (mm) for anterior commissure to skin distance.

  10 days

• T-I differences for epiglottis to skin distance

  Paired calculations of trainee-instructor (T-I) differences (mm) for epiglottis to skin distance.

  10 days

• T-I differences for thyroid isthmus to skin distance

  Paired calculations of trainee-instructor (T-I) differences (mm) for thyroid isthmus to skin distance.

  10 days

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Hyoid bone visualization

  10 days

• Vocal cords visualization

  10 days

• Thyrohyoid membrane localization, epiglottis and pre-epiglottic space visualization

  10 days

• Cricothyroid membrane visualization

  10 days

• Thyroid gland visualization

  10 days

Interventions

Visualization of the hyoid bone OTHER

Visualization of the hyoid bone using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: transverse plane). Hyoid bone visualization will be assessed as a binary outcome (yes/no).

Visualization of vocal cords OTHER

Visualization of the vocal cords through the cricoid cartilage using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: transverse plane). Vocal cords visualization will be assessed as a binary outcome (yes/no).

Localization of thyrohyoid membrane OTHER

Localization of thyrohyoid membrane using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: midsagittal plane). Thyrohyoid membrane visualization will be assessed as a binary outcome (yes/no).

Visualization of epiglottis and pre-epiglottic space OTHER

Visualization of epiglottis and pre-epiglottic space using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: midsagittal plane). Epiglottis and pre-epiglottic space visualization will be assessed as a binary outcome (yes/no).

Visualization of cricothyroid membrane OTHER

Visualization of cricothyroid membrane using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: midsagittal plane). Cricothyroid membrane visualization will be assessed as a binary outcome (yes/no).

Visualization of thyroid gland OTHER

Visualization of thyroid gland using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: transverse plane). Thyroid gland visualization will be assessed as a binary outcome (yes/no).

Hyoid bone to skin distance OTHER

Measurement of hyoid bone to skin distance (mm) using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: transverse plane).

Anterior commissure to skin distance OTHER

Measurement of anterior commissure to skin distance (mm) using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: transverse plane).

Epiglottis to skin distance OTHER

Measurement of epiglottis to skin distance (mm) using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: midsagittal plane).

Thyroid isthmus to skin distance OTHER

Measurement of thyroid isthmus to skin distance (mm) using POCUS of upper airway (probe positioning: transverse plane).

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Healthy adult volunteers, all members of the Operating Room (OR) staff, not anticipated to have difficult laryngoscopy and/or intubation based on their clinical upper airway evaluation.

You may qualify if:

• \- healthy adult volunteers (ASA physical status I and II)

You may not qualify if:

• history of congenital or acquired airway abnormalities
• modified Simplified Airway Risk Index (SARI) \> 4
• mallampati score \> 3
• Body mass index (BMI) \> 35 Kg/m2

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Ioannina: lead

Study Sites (1)

Univesity Hospital of Ioannina

Ioannina, Epirus, 45110, Greece

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor of Anaesthesiology

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 17, 2022
• First Posted: July 20, 2022
• Study Start: November 29, 2021
• Primary Completion: December 6, 2021
• Study Completion: December 13, 2021
• Last Updated: July 26, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-07

Locations

GR (1)