Global survey on point-of-care ultrasound (pocus) use in child surgery

Journal article

Purpose: To undertake a global assessment of existing ultrasound practices, barriers to access, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) training pathways, and the perceived clinical utility of POCUS in Child Surgery. Methods: An electronic survey was disseminated via the GICS (Global Initiative of Children’s Surgery) network. 247 anonymized responses from 48 countries were collated. 71.3% (176/247) worked in child surgery. Results: Ultrasound was critical to practice with 84% (147/176) of requesting one daily or multiple times per week. Only 10% (17/176) could access emergency ultrasound < 1 h from request. The main barrier was a lack of trained personnel. HIC surgeons were more likely to have ultrasound training (24/29; 82.8%) compared with LMICs (74/147; 50.3%) (p = .001319; CI 95%). Self-perceived POCUS competence was associated with regularity of POCUS use (p < 0.001; CI 95%). Those who already practice POCUS most commonly use it for trauma, intussusception, and ultrasound-guided procedures. Majority (90%; 159/176) of child surgeons would attend formal POCUS training if available. Conclusions: Ultrasound is critically important in children’s surgery globally, however, many surgeons experience barriers to timely access. There is a strong interest in learning POCUS for relevant pediatric surgical applications. Further research is needed to evaluate the best methods of training, accreditation, and governance.

Authors: Naidoo, G; Salim, M; Jackson, A; Handa, A; Lakhoo, K

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Journal: Pediatric Surgery International
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 1
• Article number: 249
• Publication date: 2024-09-05
• Acceptance date: 2024-07-23
• DOI: 10.1007/s00383-024-05797-8
• EISSN: 1437-9813
• Language: English
• Keywords: Bedside ultrasound; Point-of-care ultrasound; Clinical ultrasound; POCUS; Pediatric surgery