Education for Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists on Preoperative Ultrasound Guided Assessment of Gastric Content

Background: Since its introduction by Mendelson in 1946, preoperative fasting has been utilized to produce an empty stomach and decrease the risk of aspiration in the surgical patient. Patient adherence to NPO recommendations, certain comorbidities, and/or medications that can decrease gastric motility increases the risk of aspiration. Additionally, anesthesia induction drugs blunt airway reflexes making patients susceptible to reflux and possible aspiration, resulting in adverse outcomes. Identification of patients at increased risk and prevention of aspiration is therefore imperative for the CRNA to achieve successful perioperative outcomes. Ultrasonography, a safe noninvasive tool frequently used by anesthesiologist can be utilized in identification of patients at increased risk of aspiration. It is however currently underutilized. Purpose: This DNP project aims at teaching SRNAs how to perform an ultrasound gastric assessment as well as develop a check sheet to guide performance of the gastric ultrasound scan (GUS) in order to increase use and patient safety. Method: A 30 minute voice over instructional PowerPoint together with a pretest/posttest survey was deployed to all registered Marian University SRNAs with instructions to complete the pretest prior to reviewing the PowerPoint tutorial and the post test afterwards. Results: Participant’s knowledge based scores significantly increased from the pretest (M = 50.5, SD = 14.4) to the post test (M = 93.8, SD = 9.3; t = -11.1, p < .001, d = -2.86). Additionally SRNA confidence in performing a GUS significantly increased from the pretest (M = 6.6, SD = 18.5) to the post test survey (M = 57.2, SD = 19.6; t = -7.99, p < .001, d = -2.06). Conclusion: Student participation in the DNP project significantly increased their knowledge on the gastric ultrasound assessment procedure and their confidence for performing the procedure.

Creator

• Schandorf, Stephen Sai

Language

• English

Palabra Clave

• gastric ultrasound
• gastric content
• gastric volume
• preoperative fasting
• aspiration

Date created

• 2024

Resource type

• Research Paper

Rights statement

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/