Abstract
Covid pandemic has created deciency of doctors needed to administer skilled procedures in ICUs and operating rooms. Post graduate trainees need to acquire skills fast and perform it safely on patients. Ultrasound (USG)-guided central venous cannulation (CVC) is one such. The study aimed at nding the feasibility of training USG-guided CVC cannulation to anesthesia trainee as opposed to landmark method in terms of ease, speed and safety. Patients needing CVC were divided into 2 groups of 50 each, where Group 1 was subjected to Landmark method and Group 2 to USG-guided method. Continuous variables were compared using unpaired t test and categorical variables using either the Chi square test. Access time (in seconds) was signicantly less in the USG group (258.78 ± 11.17) as opposed to Landmark technique (301.60 ± 14.03) (p 0.03). Accidental carotid artery puncture was seen in 9 patients in Landmark group as opposed to none in the USG group. No patient in any group developed pneumothorax. USG-guided technique is superior and safer than the traditional landmark technique in hands of anaesthesia trainee in terms of a shorter access time, and less incidence of arterial puncture which is desirable in COVID patients to shorten the exposure time. USG-guided method needs an assistant to focus the probe. Nonetheless, this training should be imparted to the trainee to ll the gap created by skilled doctors falling sick during COVID pandemic.
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