The Effects of an Eight-Hour Six-Step Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) Training Program: A Pilot Study

Objective: The use of ultrasonography in emergency departments is becoming widespread all over the world. However, the recommendations of the guidelines that form the framework of training may not be suitable for all regions. In this study, we investigated the effect of a targeted eight-hour Point-of-Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) course planned in an emergency medicine clinic with limited facilities on the practical skills of emergency physicians. Methods: A six-step ultrasonography course was planned for twenty-six emergency physicians. Four hours of theoretical course followed by four hours of practical training was given. Participants were administered a practical exam a week before and a week after the training. Whether sufficient images were provided in the practical exam depended on certain criteria. The time to achieve adequate images by fulfilling all criteria was recorded in seconds. Results: After the training, the success rates of cardiac ultrasound (US), extended focused assessment with sonography in trauma (E-FAST), and the adequacy of hepatobiliary and aortic imaging increased statistically significantly (p