title: Teaching Chest Ultrasound in an Experimental Porcine Model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a short hands-on chest ultrasound course to detect normal lung pattern, pneumothorax (PTX), and pleural effusion (PE) in a porcine animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six trainees with no previous experience in chest ultrasound participated in the study. A 1.5-hour training course covering both theory and practice was developed. All static and dynamic signs of the normal lung parenchyma, PTX, and PE were analyzed. Four pigs were used. Approval by the local institutional animal care was obtained. An 8F drainage catheter was inserted into the pleural cavity under general anesthesia for injection of air or saline solution. A Vivid Q ultrasound with a 12L-RS linear probe was used. A baseline preintervention evaluation and 2 postintervention evaluations (one after theoretical class and the other after additional training with the animal model) were made. Sensitivity and specificity with the 95% confidence interval for recognition of the 3 patterns were analyzed, and results were compared with those obtained in the preintervention evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All normal lung signs were detected, as these were signs of PE and PTX. Participants were able to diagnose a normal pattern (sensitivity, 100% [90%-100%]; specificity, 90% [84%-95%]), PE (sensitivity, 89% [75%-95%]; specificity, 95% [89%-98%]), and PTX (sensitivity, 82% [72%-89%]; specificity, 97% [90%-99%]) after 30 minutes of class and normal pattern (sensitivity, 95% [85%-98%]; specificity, 95% [85%-98%]), PE (sensitivity, 100% [88%-100%]; specificity, 98% [94%-99%]), and PTX (sensitivity, 90% [73%-96%]; specificity, 98% [92%-99%]) in the animal model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The porcine model is useful for ultrasound examination of the lung parenchyma and detection of pleural disease. Its use in the experimental laboratory is a major refinement that enables trainees to identify acute pulmonary complications.
authors: From the *Cardiac Intensive Care Unit, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; †Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hospital Universitari Parc Taulí, Sabadell; ‡Department of Veterinary Medicine, Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research; §Department of Pediatric Anesthesia, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron; and ∥Vall d'Hebron Institute of Research, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Joan
authors: J
authors: Sanchez-de-Toledo
authors: Luis
authors: L
authors: Renter-Valdovinos
authors: Marielle
authors: M
authors: Esteves
authors: Carla
authors: C
authors: Fonseca
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Villaverde
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Rosal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005260:Female; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D023421:Models, Animal; D010996:Pleural Effusion / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013552:Swine; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*