Teaching Clinical Competency: Evaluating POCUS-Guided Versus Landmark Techniques for Thoracostomy Tube Placement in Canine Cadavers by Veterinary Students.

POCUS guidance for thoracostomy placement increases student confidence but requires more placement time than landmarks.

This crossover randomized study evaluated teaching small-bore wire-guided thoracostomy tube (SBWGTT) placement to 30 veterinary students using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS)-guided versus landmark-guided techniques on 16 canine cadavers with simulated pleural effusion or pneumothorax. Landmark-guided placement was significantly faster across both conditions (pleural effusion: 5.2 minutes vs. 7.9 minutes; pneumothorax: 4.6 minutes vs. 9.0 minutes for ultrasound-guided). However, students demonstrated greater confidence in correct tube placement when using POCUS guidance, with confidence scores significantly higher in ultrasound groups (7.2 and 7.1) compared to landmark groups (4.4 and 4.6). Complication rates were similar between techniques, with 11 extrapleural placements and four intrathoracic complications in the ultrasound-pleural effusion group. One tube was lost during necropsy. The findings suggest that while POCUS-guided placement requires more time for novice learners, it provides subjective reassurance regarding correct positioning within the pleural space, potentially reducing placement-related anxiety during clinical application despite similar objective complication rates.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.