Candidate Name: Sydney Magee
Program: Nursing
Committee Chairs: Dr. Drew McMuffin, Dr. David Langford 
Committee Members: Dr. Danielle Brown, Dr. Christine Detwiler, Dr. Mike Turner
Abstract:

Ultrasound allows for the real-time visualization of tissue structures using high-frequency sound waves (Hadzic, 2012). Assessing gastric contents is one of the many applications of ultrasound during the perioperative timeframe. Aspiration of gastric contents remains a leading cause of anesthesia-related morbidity and mortality. Gastric point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) provides a rapid, noninvasive assessment of gastric contents to mitigate the risk of aspiration. This quality improvement project evaluated the effectiveness of an educational intervention designed to enhance anesthesia providers’ knowledge and confidence in gastric POCUS at a Southeastern outpatient surgery center. Ten participants completed a pretest, viewed an 11-minute educational video, and completed a posttest. 40% of the participants were CRNAs, and 60% were SRNAs. Post-intervention results demonstrated increased understanding of gastric anatomy, scanning technique, and interpretations. The results also demonstrated increased confidence in performing gastric POCUS and the intent to incorporate it into their routine practice. This outpatient surgery center serves high-risk populations such as patients with elevated BMI, diabetes, GERD, and the use of GLP-1 agonists, reflecting the importance of implementation at this facility. The results of this project indicate that targeted education can successfully enhance anesthesia providers’ skills, supporting safer perioperative care.