FAST Examination During Emergency Practice

Overview

The study evaluates the knowledge, attitude and practice about Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma among emergency medicine practitioners in Poland.

Full Title of Study: “Knowledge, Attitude and Practice About Focused Assessment With Sonography in Trauma Among Paramedics. Randomized Crossover Manikin Trial”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Crossover Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Treatment
    • Masking: Single (Participant)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: December 2014

Interventions

  • Device: SonoScape
    • Ultrasonography device

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: normal model patient
    • Images of the ultrasound window were captured to disk and later evaluated by an expert in emergency medicine. In this study, the FAST examination was measured to the perihepatic space (also called Morison’s pouch or the hepatorenal recess), perisplenic space, pericardium, and the pelvis.
  • Experimental: ascites positive model patient
    • Images of the ultrasound window were captured to disk and later evaluated by an expert in emergency medicine. In this study, the FAST examination was measured to the perihepatic space (also called Morison’s pouch or the hepatorenal recess), perisplenic space, pericardium, and the pelvis.

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Tests of Knowledge of the FAST Examination
    • Time Frame: 1 day
    • knowledge-based measures used to evaluate participants’ knowledge of FAST-examination-related concepts (Survey)

Secondary Measures

  • FAST Performance Test
    • Time Frame: 1 day
    • The performance test required participants to conduct a FAST examination on two model patients (one normal, one ascites positive). No help or feedback was given to the participants.
  • Window acquisition time
    • Time Frame: 1 day
    • Identification of FAST Window Quadrants and Diagnostic Interpretation of FAST Windows. The window acquisition time was measured with a stopwatch and represented the period between first contact of the probe with the model patient’s body and when the participant said “stop” to indicate an adequate window or the participant’s judgment that he or she could not acquire the window.
  • Window quality
    • Time Frame: 1 day
    • For each acquired window, an expert evaluated the quality of the window. The window was rated as “excellent, fair, poor, or other.” “Other” captured situations where the window acquired was nondiagnostic. Window quality was dichotomized into two categories, “excellent or not excellent,” and subsequent analyses examined the number of participants that acquired “excellent” windows by quadrant (perihepatic space (also called Morison’s pouch or the hepatorenal recess), perisplenic space, pericardium, and the pelvis and suprapubic quadrant) and patient type (normal, positive).
  • Diagnostic accuracy
    • Time Frame: 1 day
    • For each acquired window, the participant rendered a diagnosis of that window. An expert evaluated the quality of the diagnosis. The diagnosis was rated as “correct, incorrect, or other.” “Other” captured situations where the window acquired was nondiagnostic. For analysis purposes, diagnostic accuracy was dichotomized into two categories, “correct or not correct,” and subsequent analyses examined the number of participants that interpreted the window correctly by quadrant (perihepatic space (also called Morison’s pouch or the hepatorenal recess), perisplenic space, pericardium, and the pelvis and suprapubic quadrant) and patient type (normal, positive).

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Paramedics currently practicing in a Polish emergency department units and emergency medical services – Age ≥ 18 years Exclusion Criteria:

  • Inability to participate in all aspects of the study prior to study begin

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: N/A

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • International Institute of Rescue Research and Education
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Lukasz Szarpak, Lukasz Szarpak – National Institute of Cardiology, Warsaw, Poland
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Lukasz Szarpak, Principal Investigator, Institute of Cardiology
  • Overall Contact(s)
    • Lukasz Szarpak, +48500186225, lukasz.szarpak@gmail.com

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